Silvermoon
by NikkiW03
Summary: This is Alice's POV of New Moon. Hope you enjoy.
1. Bella's Eighteenth

Chapter One - Bella's Eighteenth.

Today is September 13th – It's Bella's 18th- Edward and I are waiting outside in the parking lot waiting for Bella to arrive at school.

Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie have already left to go to first period.

We could hear Bella's truck before we could see it, a few seconds later and Bella pulled into the parking lot.

"Alice, don't make too much of a fuss, you know how Bella feels about her birthday." Edward was always so worried about Bella's reaction to everything.

Bella got out of her truck and slammed the door; a shower of rust fell onto the wet black top.

Bella started to make her way towards myself and Edward, but she was walking way too slow, so I skipped forward to meet her.

"Happy Birthday, Bella!" Bella's wasn't exactly excited about it. I don't know why I loved birthdays they are so fun to plan for.

"Shhh!" she hissed back at me while looking around to see if anyone heard me. The last thing she would want was for anyone else to make a big fuss over her today, luckily for her no-one did Shame.

I ignored her 'shh' and continued my conversation with her "Do you want to open your present now or later?" I asked her eagerly while we made our way over to where Edward was stood.

"No presents" she mumbled to me in protest about the thought of opening her present in front of everyone in the parking lot.

"Okay... later then. Did you like the scrapbook your mom got you? And the Camera from Charlie?" she sighed at my question as if to say trust you to know what my mom and dad got me for my birthday. Of course I know I can see the future like had she forgotten.

"Yeah. They're great." She groaned

"I think it's a nice idea. You're only a senior once. Might as well document the experience."

"How many times have you been a senior?"

"That's different."

We reached Edward then, he held out his hand to take Bella's like a gentleman should. He lifted his free hand and traced his finger around her mouth as he spoke to her

"So, as discussed, I am not allowed to wish you a happy birthday, is that correct?"

"Yes. That is correct" she replied

"Just checking." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"You might have changed you mind. Most people seem to enjoy things like birthdays and gifts."

I laughed "Of course you'll enjoy it. Everyone is supposed to be nice to you and give you your way, Bella. What's the worst that could happen?" I asked rhetorically.

"Getting older," she replied her voice was not very steady.

Edward smile turned into a hard line as he stood next to her when she said that.

"Eighteen isn't very old. Don't women usually wait until they're twenty-nine to get upset over birthdays?" I asked not really sure about what her answer might be.

"It's older than Edward," she mumbled.

He sighed.

"Technically" I replied my tone light "Just by on little year, though."

She didn't reply to this she seemed to be lost in thought. So I decided to break the silence.

"What time will you be at the house?"

"I didn't know I had plans to be there."

"Oh, Be fair, Bella" I had to complain about this.

She will be there I thought to Edward.

"You aren't going to ruin all our fun like that, are you?"

"I thought my birthday was about what I want."

"I'll get her from Charlie's right after school," Edward told me, ignoring what Bella had just said.

Yay thank you Edward you're the best.

"I have work" she was not trying to use the work card on me was she, she should know that I had taken care of that for her, who does she think I am, I was not going to let her work ruin this for us.

"You don't, actually. I already spoke to Mrs Newton about it. She's trading your shifts. She said to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'" I sounded a little smug but hey!

"I-I still can't come over." She was not doing thins to me please. She was trying to look for an excuse I could tell by her face, no way she was not doing this.

"I, well, I haven't watched Romeo and Juliet yet for English."

That was so not going to work this girl had seen Romeo and Juliet so many time it wouldn't surprise me if she knew every single word to the film.

"You have Romeo and Juliet Memorized."

"But Mr Berty said we need to see it preformed to fully appreciate it- that's how Shakespeare intended it to be presented."

At this Edward rolled his eyes he knew as well as I did that she was trying her best to get out of tonight and I would not allow this.

"You've already seen the movie," I accused.

"But not the nineteen-sixties version. Mr Berty said it was the best."

NO NO NO Edward she can't do this to me it's all set up now please help me!

"This can be easy, or this can be hard, Bella, but one way or the other-"I started but Edward interrupted me.

"Relax, Alice. If Bella wants to watch a movie, then she can. It's her birthday."

"So there" Bella added to this statement.

Edward

"I'll bring her over around seven that will give you more time to set up."

Yay, thank you, Edward, thank you, thank you.

I laughed, "Sounds good. See you tonight, Bella! It'll be fun, you'll see." I had a grin on my face so big that my teeth were non show; I give Bella a peck on the cheek and danced off to my class.

Hmmm, more time to set up now everything can be perfect.

I couldn't help thinking about how I would set up the house tonight for Bella's birthday party that we were throwing for her.

All day I had new ideas for the main room, each different but perfect for Bella's party.

After school I went straight home to get everything set up.

When I got home I went straight to Esme.

"Esme, are you ready to help me set up everything for Bella's party?"

"Yes, Alice, I'm ready. What first?" Esme was walking down the stairs.

"We need to go to the shop first I need to pick up some more things and I need to pick up Bella's cake."

"Okay dear, let's go."

Esme and I got in Carlisle's BMW and drove toward Port Angeles.

When we got to Port Angeles we went straight to a party shop where I picked up the last couple of things I needed for getting the house ready for Bella's party, then we went to the cake shop to pick up the cake I had ordered a week before.

Esme and I got back to the car and placed the bags in the boot and I sat in the passenger's seat with Bella's cake on my lap and Esme drove home.

When we got home we started the preparations.

We hung a long line of Japanese lanterns from the porch and crystal bowls of pink roses on the stairs up to the front door.

We covered every flat surface with pink candles and crystal bowls filled with roses in, we set up a table by Edwards Piano and filled it with crystal plates, Candles and of course a pink Birthday cake and her presents which were wrapped in silver wrapping paper.

It was now a few minutes to seven and everyone was stood in the room where the party was being held waiting for Edward to bring Bella over.

We could here Bella's truck pull into the drive; it wasn't exactly the kind of noise that would be hard to hear even for human ears.

I heard her moan. Edward took a few breaths "This is a party; Try to be a good sport."

"Sure," she muttered to him.

"I have a question." Edward didn't answer to this to Bella continued.

"If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?" we could hear Edward laugh and so did everyone else in the house.

Silly Bella.

Edward opened the front door for her and she seen us all here waiting for her, we all greeted her with a huge "Happy Birthday, Bella!" she blushed and looked down naturally this was such a Bella thing.

Edward wrapped his arm around Bella's waist and kissed the top of her head.

Esme hugged Bella very carefully and kissed her on the forehead.

Carlisle put his arm around Bella's shoulder and said "Sorry about this, Bella, We couldn't rein Alice in."

Rose and Emmett we stood behind Esme and Carlisle, Rosalie didn't seem to be very interested in Bella being here even though it was Bella's birthday party and Emmett had a huge grin on his face.

"You haven't changed at all, I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always," he said with mock disappointment.

"Thanks a lot, Emmett," she replied blushing deeper.

He laughed at this "I have to step out a second" he paused to wink at me "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

"I'll try."

I let go of Jaspers hand and skipped over to my best friend with a grin on my face. Jasper smiled at Bella but kept his distance.

"Time to open presents," I declared.

I put my hand under Bella's elbow and towed her along to the table that held the cake and presents.

Bella's face went sour "Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything-"before she could finish I interrupted

"But I didn't listen. Open it." I told her as I took the camera from her hands and replaced it with a big, silver box that contained the present from Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper.

She tore off the paper and looked at the box. Bella decided to open the box, only to find that it was empty.

"Um...Thanks"

Rosalie smiled at this, Jasper Laughed. "It's a stereo for your truck, Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it" he explained.

"Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie," she was grinning over something that she must have been thinking about.

"Thanks, Emmett!" she called louder.

All you could hear was Emmett's booming laugh from out the front of the house in Bella's truck, Bella laughed at this.

"Open mine and Edwards next," I told her while passing her a small, flat, square present.

Bella turned to Edward "You promised."

Before Edward could reply to this Emmett bounded in through the door.

"Just in time!" He pushed past Jasper who had moved closer to us.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward replied to Bella assuring her as he brushed a stray hair from her face.

Bella inhaled deeply and turned back to me. "Give it to me," she sighed.

Emmett chuckled.

She took the present from my hand when I passed it to her, rolling her eyes at Edward while she stuck her finger under the edge of the paper and pulled at the tape.

"Shoot." The paper sliced her finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut.

"No!" Edward roared.

He threw himself at Bella so fast that it knocked her over flinging her right into the table with her presents and cake on. She landed in a pile of shattered crystal.

Jasper slammed into Edward.

Jasper was now growling at Bella.

He tried to push past Edward, Snapping his teeth just inches from Edwards face.

Emmett grabbed Jasper from behind, locking him into his massive steel grip, but Jasper still struggled against his hold, his wild empty eyes were focused on Bella.

Bella's face looked in pain, she had tumbled onto the floor by the piano, shards of glass were now stuck into poor Bella's arm.

She looked up from her arm, which was now covered in blood, to see six now ravenous vampires looking down on her.


	2. Stitches

Chapter Two - Stitches.

Carlisle was the only one to stay calm through this.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside."

"Come one Jasper."

Oh no what has happened what has my husband tried to do oh no this is wrong why didn't I see this, why, Edward please don't be mad at him please let him be ok, Poor Bella she does not deserve this.

Jasper struggled against Emmett's arms, reaching towards him with his teeth bared.

Edwards face was whiter than bone as he crouched over Bella Protectively. A low snarl came from between his clenched teeth, you could tell that he wasn't breathing.

Rosalie stepped in front of Jasper- keeping careful distance from his teeth- and helped Emmett wrestle him through the glass door that Esme held open, one hand pressed over her mouth and nose.

Esme's face was ashamed. "I'm so sorry Bella," she cried before she followed the others into the yard.

"Let me by, Edward," Carlisle murmured.

After a second Edward nodded slowly and relaxed his stance.

Carlisle knelt beside Bella, leaning closer to examine her arm.

Bella seemed to notice the shock on her face and attempted to compose it.

I handed Carlisle a towel "Here, Carlisle,"

He shook his head at me. "Too much glass in the wound."

He reached over and ripped a long, thin scrap from the bottom of the white table cloth that I had put on the table earlier today. He twisted it around Bella's arm above her elbow to form a tourniquet.

As Carlisle did this he turned to Bella and said "Bella, Do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?"

"Here, please," she whispered.

"I'll get your bag," I told him and rushed from the room to Carlisle's study where he kept his hospital bag and ran back down stairs to the kitchen where they had taken Bella.

I handed Carlisle his Bag, and plugged in a small desk lamp into the wall and placed it on the table, Edward sat Bella down gently onto the seat, while Carlisle picked up another and went to work on Bella's arm.

Edward was stood over Bella protectively, still not breathing.

"Just go, Edward," Bella sighed.

"I can handle it," he insisted. His jaw was rigid: his eyes were burning with the intensity of the thirst he felt.

"You don't need to be a hero, Carlisle can fix me up without your help. Get some fresh air." Bella told him.

She winced as Carlisle pulled a shard of glass from her arm.

"I'll stay." He told her.

"Why are you so masochistic?" Bella replied

Carlisle decided to Intercede. "Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far, I'm sure he's upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now."

"Yes, go find Jasper." Bella eagerly agreeing with Carlisle.

"You might as well do something useful," I added.

Edward eyes narrowed as we all ganged up on him, but he finally nodded smoothly and sprinted out the door, I knew that he hadn't taken a breath since it happened.

After a few more seconds of Carlisle pulling glass from Bella's Arm I decided to leave to see how my Jasper was.

As I entered the back garden I seen three things simultaneously,

Esme was sat on her bench with her head in her hands crying tearless sobs, all I wanted was to go comfort her, her son had almost lost it and killed my best friend and her daughter (as she thought of Bella).

Rose was sat on a boulder by the river with a smug smile on her face, all I wanted to do was slap it off that was my best friend in there and she looked like she couldn't care a less.

Emmett and Edward were trying very hard to get Jasper to calm down he was so upset with himself he had almost killed Bella and if he had he would never be able to live with himself it was the love of Edwards life sitting in there being stitched up by our father.

I wanted so badly to go tell him that it was ok that she was fine, but I couldn't he wouldn't listen to me like Carlisle had said he would only listen to Edward at the moment.

So I went to sit by Esme and comfort her, when I sat down next to her and put my arms around her she broke down,

"Alice, Is she ok? Is she upset with Jasper? Can she forgive him for this?" Esme just kept throwing all these questions at me but I didn't know how to answer them.

"she's ok Esme I promise just a few cuts, I don't really know if she's upset with him I don't think she is, I think she is more mad at herself for not being careful around us, I hope she can forgive him if she is upset with him as he loves her so much like a sister and he is so happy whenever she is around, she is so lovable that everyone here loves her, I even think that Rose does deep down, she's just upset with the fact that Bella has a human life and she doesn't, it's not really Bella's fault, we all love her for how she is with Edward she has changed him Esme she really has he's so happy, Which makes everyone happy." I replied to her question to help comfort her.

"Thank you, Alice."

"Its ok mom, are you ok?"

Esme nodded.

"Lets go see if Jaspers ok,"

With that we got up and walked over to where Emmett, Edward, Rose and Jasper were.

"Jasper, are you ok darling?" Esme asked him in her most motherly way.

"Not really mom, I can't believe I did that, what if Emmett hadn't been there god knows what would have happened, I'm so sorry Edward I really am." Jaspers voice was so full of sorrow you would have thought that he had just lost a very close loved one.

"I forgive you Jasper, You didn't hurt her she'll be ok," Edward told Jasper.

"I'm going in to see if Bella is ok." With that Edward walked off towards the house.

After a few moments Edward called from the back door.

"Alice!"

"Yes, Edward?"

"Could you please find Bella a clean top, she'll give Charlie a heart attack if she walks in with a blood soaked top on."

"Of course, I'll be right there." I told him before I give my husband a huge hug and told him it would be ok, I then run into the house.

Bella was stood in the main room with her arm was covered by a bandage and her top was soaked in blood.

I rushed to Bella's side and said "C'mon, I'll get you something less macabre to wear."

I found her a shirt of Esme's that was a similar colour to the one she was already wearing before it was soaked in blood.

"Alice," Bella whispered as I was headed back to the door.

"Yes?" I kept my voice low, too, and looked at her curiously with my head cocked to the side, what could she possibly want to ask me?

"How bad is it?" She whispered back to me.

My face was tense "I'm not sure yet," I wasn't, I didn't know what was happening at the moment.

"How's Jasper?" she asked

I had to sigh, "He's very unhappy with himself. It's all so much more of a challenge for him, and he hates feeling weak."

I would cry if I could, my husband was so upset at himself and there was nothing that I could do to help ease his pain.

"It's not his fault. You'll tell him that I'm not mad at him, not at all, won't you?"

Bella wasn't upset with him I hope this makes him feel better with himself.

"Of course" we made our way back downstairs and Edward was waiting at the front door for Bella, as soon as we got to the bottom of the staircase, he held it open with out a word.

Talk to her Edward she needs you now please help her feel better.

I noticed that Bella hadn't picked up her presents, they would be the last thing on her mind at the moment but maybe they will make her feel better about tonight if she opens them later with Edward.

"Take your things!" I cried as Bella Walk warily towards Edward.

I scooped up her final two presents and her camera from under the piano and pressed them into her good arm.

"You can thank me later, when you've opened them."

Esme and Carlisle both said a quiet goodnight. With that Edward and Bella left.

"Oh my, I do hope Jasper is ok." Esme was still very upset by what had happened here tonight.

"It's ok Esme I'll go see if he's ok." I rushed out of the house and into the forest and across the river to where Emmett was still sitting with Jasper.

"It's okay Em you can go back to the house now if you want, I've got it from here," Emmett looked a bit wary of leaving Jasper alone.

"I'm okay with Alice, Em, I'm not going to attack her." Jasper grimaced as he said those last two words.

Emmett got up and started walking towards the house at a human speed, which was unnecessary I could handle Jasper if I needed to, not that I'd need to because he would never hurt me.

"Are you okay?" I asked the love of my existence.

He looked at me with sorrow in his eyes, no, no he was not okay.

"Do you really need to ask me that Alice?" he replied sorrow was evident in his voice as well as his eyes.

"I guess not, Bella asked me to tell you that she's not upset with you, she told me to tell you that it was not your fault, she's not upset with you not at all Jasper, Please talk to me." I couldn't help but feel upset he was giving off such emotion that I couldn't help but be caught by it.

"Alice, what did I do? I could have killed her and then Edward never would have been able to look at me again" I grimaced this time I couldn't think of him killing Bella, No I couldn't she was my best friend and I have been looking for years for such a best friend .

But he was my husband, the love of my existence, the reason I walk on this earth, the core of my being.

"Jasper it's ok, you didn't hurt her and that's the main thing at the moment, that you didn't hurt her you can't keep thinking 'but what if I did' you didn't."

"I love you, Alice Cullen, so much I worry about hurting you and if I had killed Bella it not only would have really upset Edward it would have killed you loosing your best friend to the hands of your husband." He looked at me with pleading eyes, was he trying to get me to forgive him was it not only Edward and Bella he wished to right it with he wanted me to forgive him as well.

He looked at me again with pleading eyes "Alice, please forgive-" before he could finish what he was saying my eyes clouded over, I was having a vision.


	3. The Vision

Chapter Three - The Vision

Edward came through the door about two hours after he had taken Bella home, probably waiting for her to fall asleep before he could sneak out to come back home to talk to use before he went back to Bella's house in time for her to wake up.

"I need to talk to everyone in the dining room now please." Edward was kind of frustrated, upset and flustered all at the same time which wasn't Edward he was never flustered and since he'd met Bella he hasn't been upset.

As we all followed Edward to the dining room, Esme held his hand and Carlisle stood beside him and put his hand on his shoulder, it was as if they new what was to come out of his mouth next.

"NO NO He can't do this to me Jasper please tell him not to do this to me please." I was pleading with my husband for help, help that I needed.

"Alice? What's wrong? What did you see? What's Edward going to do? Alice please tell me I need to know." Jasper was worried, so I told him about the vision I had just had and now that he fully understood he told me he would help but that he thought that Edward was right in a way. Not him too, who will help me if Jasper won't, Emmett that's who.

We made our way back to the house to wait for Edwards Return home, I didn't tell anyone about my vision but Jasper, I would let Edward break everyone's heart, it was his choice not mine.

"Emmett, I need to talk to you for a minute in private please." I really needed his help please tell me he'll help.

Emmett followed me through the house and out into the forest, far enough away that no one in the house would be able to hear what I was about to ask him.

"What's wrong Alice? Are you ok? You don't look to good." I didn't have time for his questions not now.

"No, Emmett, I'm not ok, Edward is going be home in a few minutes he is going to ask us something and I need you're help Em, I really do, no one else will but you, please tell me you'll help me."

"Of course Alice you know I'll help you, what's it about what did you see?" no questions not now please.

"Emmett I will not tell you, it is Edwards's decision I will let him tell you, I will not upset you that is up to Edward but please still help me please." I begged with all my might, I really needed this from him.

"Ok, Alice, I promise to help you no matter what it is, Even if Edward doesn't like it, I will help you, let's go back to the house and wait for him ok," thank god he said yes.

"Thank you, Emmett, I am so thankful." We walked back to the house.

We made it back to the house in time and as my vision had said, Edward came through the door.

"I need to talk to everyone in the dining room now please." Edward was kind of frustrated, upset and flustered.

As we all followed Edward to the dining room, Esme held his hand and Carlisle stood beside him and put his hand on his shoulder, it was as if they new what was to come out of his mouth next.

"What is this about Edward; I've got better things to do than sit around at a family meeting." Rose was still annoyed at Edward, he'd brought a human into our world, Rose never like Bella, but then it was made worse by the fact that Jasper had almost killed that human because Edward couldn't keep away from her.

I knew what was coming from Edward next, and I held my head in my hands crying tearless sobs, Esme came to comfort me like I had with her earlier in the night, Jasper was still upset about what happened and that was made worse with the guilt that he now felt towards what Edward said next.

"While I was sitting next to Bella waiting for her to fall asleep I couldn't help thinking about right and wrong, and what I have put this family through in the last nine months is wrong, you didn't deserve it and for that I am truly sorry, but I am now even more sorry by what I must ask for you to do next." Edward fell silent waiting for a reply from some one.

I couldn't help but cry out in pain I knew what was happening and he knew I knew.

I can't Edward I won't do it NO NO! NO! NO!

"I'm sorry Alice but it's the only way," Edward replied to my thoughts towards him.

"Edward! What's going on, what do you want to ask us?" Emmett never liked being left out of the conversation.

"I will apologise once more and say what I need to say, just please forgive me for this, especially you Alice please?" Edwards eye were pleading but I couldn't I wouldn't.

"NO! I will not forgive you, Edward, No way!" I couldn't help shouting at him but what he was going to ask us was way to upsetting for me.

"We need to Alice, I need to," Edward was pleading with me again.

"Will someone please tell us what's going on here, we all need to be part of this conversation otherwise you wouldn't have called a family meeting Edward you would have just called Alice." Rose was really annoyed with Edward now.

"Okay, here goes," Edward took a deep breath before he started, "We need to leave Forks, We need to leave... Bella, Tonight, not tomorrow, not in a week, not in a few days, you all need to leave tonight, I will stay behind and tell Bella what is happening and apologise to her for what we are doing... what I am making you do, and I will follow you in a few days, we need to do this to save her please," Edward was now sitting on his chair with his head in his hands listening to everyone's thought's, he was trying to block them out, but not being very successful.

"No, Edward, I will not leave, I can't she's my best friend, Edward, I need her, I really do, you know how long I've waited for a friend like Bella, Please don't make me do this please." I looked at Emmett; he noticed me looking and stood up.

"I'm sorry Edward, but I agree with Alice, we can't do this, Bella has been through so much with us, it would be like loosing a family member and I won't be able to live with the pain that we will put her through if we do this to her, I cannot Edward I am sorry." Thank you, Emmett.

I heard a growl which I thought had come from Edward, as he heard me mentally thanking Emmett, but it was not Edward who had growled it was Rose.

"Emmett how could you want to stay here, if Edward thinks this is best then this is best."

"Rose you only want to go because you dislike Bella and wish to be away from her, but I love her like a sister and to be away from her would be like being away from Alice, and I can't do that to her, do you want her to feel pain?" Emmett was starting to loose his temper with Rose, this never happened, he must really not want to leave Bella our newest family member, our sister.

"No Emmett I do not wish for her to feel pain, As much as I dislike Bella I would not wish pain on her." This seemed to make everyone stare at Rose.

"We need to make a decision, I don't have much time, if Bella wakes up she will wonder why I am not there when she does, she does not need more heart ache with what we are going to do to her."

"No, Edward. Not WE! YOU! I will not decide to leave my best friend, my sister, I can't." I started again with the silent sobs, this time it was not Esme or Jasper who comforted me but Emmett.

"I will side with Alice in what ever decision she makes, I promised her I would side with her no matter what the out come, Sorry Edward, Sorry Rose."

Edward looked around the room to each family member once before asking their decision.

"Carlisle?"

"I will do what ever is needed for this family, but I do not wish to cause Bella pain, but if our leaving is better than the pain you will be in if she died, it is a price I am willing to pay to save her, Yes Edward I will leave with you."

"Esme?"

"No, Edward I can't, she is a daughter to me and I will not hurt her, my choice is to stay." Esme came to sit with me and Emmett on the far side of the table; she tried to comfort me more as I broke down again when Edward turned to Jasper.

"Jasper?"

"I'm sorry Alice but I need to do this, Yes Edward I will leave with you, I need to save Bella from myself and this is the only way to do it without leaving my family behind." Jasper looked at me, it was a 'please forgive me Alice' look, I couldn't look at him, he had chosen to take me away from my best friend, from my life.

"Rose, the final decision is yours it's up to you to decide what happens to this family tonight, do you want to stay or leave?" Rose turned around to look at myself, Esme, and her husband Emmett.

"I'm Sorry." Rose sorry, She sighed, "I choose that we..." she paused again to look at Emmett, "Leave".

"No, Rose what have you done, you can't do this to us," I couldn't look at her I continued to shout at her. " I HATE YOU ROSALIE HALE, I CANNOT BELEAVE YOU COULD BE SO SELFISH,I HATE YOU." My heart, which hasn't beat in almost ninety years felt like she was physically ripping it from my chest with her bare hands.

I ran from the dining room with Emmett and Esme right behind me and I ran to my room, I sat on my bed and broke down.

"They can't do this they can't it's going to rip us apart." Esme pulled me into her lap and cradled me like I was a child.

"Esme, Emmett, Alice, I'm sorry but we have to do this, for Bella's sake we have to." It was Carlisle's voice who filled the bedroom, the three other traitors were probably packing ready to leave, Carlisle left the room when no one answered him not even Esme, the love of his life.

"Alice, Please, we have to do this for her, she will be better off with out us, Alice, please try to understand that. We have to do this to save her, look at how much trouble we have brought to her life, Alice, James would never have gone after her if she hadn't been in the baseball clearing that day. If we hadn't been in her life Jasper wouldn't have tried to attack her. Alice please." Edward was still trying to convince me that leaving was in Bella's best interest.

"And don't go looking for her future either, Alice, We've done enough damage."

With that Edward left the room.

It was around five am when I opened my eyes, I had been able to hear everyone rushing around the house to get everything packed up to leave at seven, Edward was going to head back to Bella's for when she woke up and was going to stay a few more days before he told her what was happening, I couldn't even say goodbye, that hurt me more than the leaving, I couldn't say good bye to the only best friend I have had in my whole life, probably will ever have in my existence.

"Sorry, Alice, please forgive me." Edward whispered as he left the house to return to Bella.

NO this was all I could think no, I could not forgive him.

"Alice its time for us to leave petal, I know you don't want to neither do Emmett or I, but we cannot be away from our loved ones darling think of what it would do to Jasper if you didn't leave with him." Esme was so sweet thinking of everyone else instead of herself and I respected her for that.

"Ok but I want to drive with Emmett or you and Carlisle, I don't want to drive with Rose or Jasper, I will leave but I will not drive with them." I sat up on the end of the bed and looked around the room all the furniture was covered in dust sheets and all my belongings were missing.

"Alice and I are going to ride in the jeep, where to this time Carlisle?" Emmett said in a very quiet voice, this was not Emmett; he must be really upset about leaving Bella, our sister, here alone with no one to protect her.

"We're going to Cornell, Emmett." Carlisle replied to Emmett's question with no emotion this was hurting him as much as it was Esme, Emmett and I.

As I got into the front of the jeep I heard a light cough next to me, it was Rose, she was expecting me to move so she could take shotgun.

"Sorry Rose but Alice and I wish to drive to Cornell by our self's you and Jasper are not welcome to join us, we'll see you in Cornell." Emmett's voice seemed to have a bit of anger in it as if Rose should have known that we did not wish for her and Jasper to join us.

"What! Why?" Rose was hurt, good.

"Because, you chose to leave when we did not you knew our decision but yet you both chose to go against you're 'loved ones' sorry but you cannot join us." As Emmett said this he drove out of the garage and up the drive.

"Emmett, would you mind driving past Bella's house, if I can't say good bye to her face I will have to deal with saying goodbye to her from afar, as long as I get to say goodbye to her. Please?" I turned to see his face.

"Of course, Alice, I would like to do that, I would like to say goodbye from afar also." He looked at me and Smiled, but this was not an Emmett smile this was so full of sadness to be leaving her behind.


	4. Ithica

Chapter Four - Ithica

We parked at the end of Bella's drive and looked up towards her bedroom window, Edward was just about to leave we could see him at the window saying goodbye.

Edward looked up to see myself and Emmett sitting in the jeep, our eyes full of sorrow, Edward jumped from the window and ran to the jeep.

"What are you doing here, I asked you to leave?" Edward was mad at us, tuff.

"We wanted to say goodbye from afar Edward, if you won't let us say it in person then we must say it from afar, you can give us that much can't you since your making us leave?" Emmett was angry at Edward for his attitude towards us when it was him making us leave not the other way around.

"Fine, say goodbye and then leave please, I do not want to cause Bella anymore pain than I will in two days, Sorry." With that he ran off into the forest across from Bella's house.

"Goodbye my best friend, my sister." I started to break down.

"Goodbye my little sister see you soon, I hope." With that we left looking back over our shoulder to see Bella Leaving her house and get into her truck, she didn't notice us we were to far away.

We drove past forks high school and the police station to say goodbye to Charlie from afar, I was going to miss forks and my best friend and her loving farther.

As we drove out of forks boundaries I whispered "Goodbye forks I'll miss you." Emmett looked over to me and reached over to give me a hug while still driving.

We drove for two whole days before we drove past a sign that said 'Welcome to Cornell' it wasn't as bright as forks it had a dull feel to it, we continued driving for 20 minutes before we pulled into a large drive and up to our new house, it was horrible I prefer forks this place was, well there were no words to describe it.

We walked into the new house to see all new furniture and our boxes had already been unpacked.

"Hello my angel, are you ok?" Esme came up to me pulling me into her embrace.

"Not really mom, we went to Bella's before we left and she just looked so happy when she left her house and all I could think about here was her face when Edward told her that we've gone."

"Alice, Talk to me please." It was jasper who now held me.

"Jasper, I love you but at the moment I can't be around you not knowing that your chose to go against what I asked you to do, I'm sorry Jasper I really am but I can't." With that I walked off.

"Emmett please keep an eye on her for me please." Jasper was asking Emmett to look after me because I wouldn't let him, this made me feel guilty for pushing him away but he needed to see that I needed him before and he chose to go against me.

I went to the spare bedroom the would eventually end up as a sewing room, a computer room or Esme's planning room, there was a spare bed there a lay on it closing my eyes, knowing I wouldn't sleep, but to try block everything out, I was aware that someone had entered the room behind me.

"Alice, can I sit with you please I don't wish to sit with Rose when I'm upset with her, please?" Emmett seemed to be just as upset with Rose as I was with Jasper, Emmett was never upset with Rose always her upset with him.

I couldn't speak so I just nodded.

It was about 9am on the sixteenth September, when we arrived in Cornell, it was now about 3am on the eighteenth, I decided that I should talk to Jasper he was only trying to do what was best for himself and Bella and Edward in a way because if he ever lost Bella to the hands of his brother he would have died.

I walked into the TV room where Jasper was sat with the TV on even though he wouldn't watch it; I walked over to him and sat next to him.

He looked up at me with his golden eyes burning me in apology; I turned to him and said,

"Japer Hale, I love you so much, I know why you chose to leave I just needed time to get used to the fact that I've left my best friend and sister in pain with no one to protect her, no one to hug her close when she cried for Edward, no one to love her the way she deserves to be loved, you need to understand that I love you with all my being Jasper but she was the best friend I had ever had, will ever have and she was a great sister to me, even though she hated it she would do the things I wanted to do, Jasper she is such a loving and unselfish person, I just couldn't understand why Edward would choose to leave her broken." I sat the quietly while what I just said sunk into Jasper.

He pulled me close and whispered in my ear "I love you with all my being Alice Cullen, You are the most important being in my existence and I have hated myself since the night that I attempted to attack my wife's best friend, my brothers life, Emmett's, Rose's, mine and your sister, Carlisle's and Esme's daughter, she did not deserve what I almost did to her Alice, and I hate myself for doing that to her, I now hate myself more for taking you away from her in her time of need, I hate that I have made us do this if it wasn't for that night we would all be happy in forks instead of ripped apart and miserable in Cornell, I love you Alice, please tell me you'll forgive me for what I have done to you please?" he looked down at our hands which were entwined into each other waiting for my reply, thinking the worst was about to hit him.

"Of course I forgive you Jasper, I can't say that I understand what you are going through because I can't, but I will try and help you through what you are feeling right now, I love you." I was now starting to break down again after declaring my love for the being in front of me, because I had put him trough so much pain in the last five days that he needed to hear what I felt for him, though he could probably feel that with out the declaration.

"Alice, I'm sorry also I've been such a rotten person to you Esme and my Emmett even to Edward and Bella, and now we are here dealing with it and I'm so sorry, I know you won't forgive me right away like with Jasper but please think over what I have said now." With that she turned to Emmett, "I love you Emmett and I'm so very sorry that I have caused you pain over the last few days and I hope you can find it in you to forgive me." With that said Emmett had pulled Rose up into the biggest hug possible and said,

"I love you Rosalie Hale, never forget that, I will forgive you but please don't do this to me again, it hurts to much."

Now that our family was all back together and well not happy but not full of rotten sorrow, we could all feel the gap that Bella had filled it was made worse by the fact that Edward had not arrived yet he phoned on the eighteenth to say he had left Bella and had left forks, but it was not the twentieth and we had not heard from him, when we tried to contact him he would just block the call, He was hurting.

We were sat out the garden watching Esme plant seeds when we heard the car pull into the drive, we all jumped up and ran to the end of the drive way outside the house, and waited for him to pull up.

As he pulled up you could see the sorrow in his eyes, I could tell that he was very upset not only because Jasper seemed to get even more upset when Edward pulled up but because he waited a whole ten minutes before he got out of his car and walk over to our loving family, while sat in his car you could see him crying tearless sobs and trying to calm himself before he broke down completely not wanting to in front of all his family he would do that in the privacy of his room.

He walked over to us and walked up to Esme first and she embraced him in a huge hug but said nothing.

Next he went to Carlisle who only patted him on the shoulder and said "son."

He the moved to Emmett and Myself and looked us in the eyes and said,

"I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you both over us leaving but it was the best thing to do for Bella and for Jasper" I held Jasper's hand harder in my hand when Edward said this "If you'll excuse me I am going to my room for a while I need to be alone." With that Edward walked past us and into the house and disappeared up the stairs.

Since we'd been here I never really took in the absolute beauty of the house we now lived in, it was a beautiful three story mansion that looked into the beautiful forest that covered each side of the house for miles, each room had huge bay windows that ran from ceiling to floor, come to think about it, it looks a lot like a dolls house that I once seen on a shopping trip to port angeles on time with Bella. (To see the house I took inspiration from click this link .com/images/uploads/Sea%20Castle-137-propert... hope you like)

Edward had been in his room for about a month only leaving once to hunt for two days with Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper, but since he got back from the hunting trip he locked him self in his room again.

We have been in Cornell now for two months and we have tried to live life as normal as possible.

Jasper has decided that it is time for him to go back to school so he is going to go to Cornell to study Philosophy.

Carlisle is working nights at Ithaca and teaching part time at Cornell.

Rosalie and Emmett are helping Esme restore the house that we are currently living in.

Edward left us about a month ago to be on his own for a while, he checks in every now and again but it's just not the same not having him here with us.

I had been doing some personal research about my human family with the information that Bella had found out from James earlier this year when he had tried to kill her in the ballet studio in phoenix, I didn't feel ready to go back to school just yet to I decided to look into my past.

Name- Mary Alice Brandon.

Date of Birth- June 17th 1907.

Daughter to - Benjamin and Alexis Brandon.

Sister to - Cynthia Brandon.

Date of Death - January 20th 1924.

Cause of Death - Sudden death, Unknown cause.

Further Family information - Cynthia Brandon married Jeffery O'Connor on September 16th 1951- Brandon aged 27- O'Connor aged 29.

Cynthia O'Connor had a baby girl named Elisha on March 15th 1955.

Benjamin and Alexis Brandon died in a car accident on April 16th 1964 Aged 40 and 42.

Elisha O'Connor married Jerry James on January 20th 1975, in memory of the aunt she never knew, O'Connor aged 20- James aged 21.

Elisha James had a baby girl named Sarah on September 19th 1979.

Elisha James had another baby girl names Louise on May 16th 1983.

Elisha James had a baby boy names Lucas on June 29th 1986.

Elisha and husband Jerry live in Biloxi with their loving family.

"Esme, Esme, Come see this quick," I called to her from the computer room.

"What is it Alice what's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong Esme, It's ok, I just found information on my entire family, look." I couldn't hold onto my excitement.

"Oh Alice this is great, I'm so glad you have found something about your family and your past." She gave me a huge hug and run down stairs to tell Carlisle.

When Jasper, Emmett and Rose came home I told them my great news and some other news that I had found.

"I was searching through some old files for this asylum and I found a file on me." Everyone's faces seemed to be quite shocked.

"The date I was committed was the same date on my death certificate and my tome stone, what could this mean Carlisle?" I was quite upset at this point I didn't understand.

"I don't know, Alice, Maybe you were changed on the same day that your were committed or maybe just maybe your parents decided that it might be best to let people think you had died rather than admit that they had to have you committed into a mental asylum, I'm so sorry, Alice, I know this must hurt to find all this information out just for it to be ripped away from you by this but at least now you know." He had a look in his eye that suggested to me that he wanted to investigate more into my past.

Would he.

"Alice!" Rosalie's voice filled the house, it sounded like she was singing.

"Yes, Rose, what is it?" I was sat in the sat in the computer room still looking over the information about my human family when she called.

"Alice I need your help." She sounded very excited.

Rosalie was really excited because she and Emmett had decided it was time for them to have another wedding and she wanted me to organise it.

I am so excited, I love planning weddings and parties, I think she only asked because it she knew that it would cheer me up, and I needed cheering up, I needed something to take my mind off of home


	5. The Wedding

Chapter Five- The Wedding.

I decided that today Rosalie Esme and I are going dress shopping, so that I can get a few ideas of what Rose would like for her wedding dress.

We stopped at the first dress shop and Rose tried on about 20 different dresses, she decided that she like different parts from each dress so I decided to note these, and use them in the final design for her wedding dress.

We continued looking through the dress shops for idea's all day Rose chose a few more at she liked parts that she liked from different dresses, then it was mine and Esme's turn as Rose had asked us to be bridesmaids.

We tried on about 50 different dresses between us and again Rose chose different parts from different dresses for our dress designs, each dress would be a one of a kind dress.

On the way home we stopped at a fabric shop so that I could pick up all the fabric that I could need to create the dresses.

When we got home Esme, Carlisle and Jasper decided tat they wanted to go hunting ad I decided to go with them it had been about a week since I lest hunted and I was thirsty, I needed time to think over the wedding plans before I started planning and hunting was always the best place for me to think about what I wanted to do.

While we were out hunting I decided that the colour scheme would be Emmett's and Rosalie's favourite colours, Light Blue and Cream.

When we got back to the house I all but locked myself in the computer room for days planning every inch of Rosalie's and Emmett's wedding from the flowers to the cake to the music that would be played to the guests to the decorations.

The date was set, 17th December.

The guests were invited-

Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Edward and Myself.

Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen and Eleazar.

The flowers were chosen-

Blue and Cream Roses and Blue and Cream Lilies.

The dresses were designed and were made-

Rosalie's dress is cream it is floor length with a satin trim on the edge and flows out into a trail at the back.

Esme's dress is baby blue satin and lace with a satin tie at the waist and it is mid calf length.

My dress is baby blue satin and lace with a satin blue tie at the waist and it is knee length.

Emmett's suit is black with a light blue waist coat.

Jasper's, Edward's and Carlisle's suits are black with a cream waist coat.

There are garlands hung from the ceilings they are cream and blue roses hung with silk and satin ribbons and bows. The chairs are cream with light blue silk bows on the backs. There is a light blue carpet leading from the door to the end of the aisle.

Emmett and Jasper are stood with the minister at the end of the aisle while awaiting Rosalie's arrival, Edward is sat at the white grand piano on the other side of the minister playing soft lullabies.

Esme and I enter the room with our bridesmaid's bouquets, which are blue lilies and cream roses.

As Rosalie walks into the room escorted by Carlisle, Emmett looks as if he is about to burst with pride as she walks down the aisle to the wedding march that Edward is playing on the piano.

When Rosalie and Carlisle reach the end of the Aisle, Carlisle place's Rosalie's hand into Emmett's waiting hand and kisses Rosalie on the cheek then takes his place behind Jasper.

The minister starts the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Rosalie and Emmett in holy matrimony."

The ceremony continued and fifteen minutes later the minister asks,

"Rosalie Hale, Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Emmett Cullen, Do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife; you may kiss your bride."

With this Emmett reaches over and cups Roses face in his hand and kisses her tenderly on the lips.

After the Wedding we all flowed into the reception, where we danced and partied until the early hours of the next morning, that was when it was time for the bride and groom to leave for their two month trip around Europe.

Esme and I rush Rosalie upstairs where we let her hair down and changed her from her wedding dress into her travel outfit.

Emmett was waiting at the bottom of the stairs while we made our way down stairs, he held his hand out for his wife and pulled her into his embrace he hugged her dearly before she moves onto hug all of our family and the wedding guests, Rose walked back to Emmett and placed her hand in his and they left for Europe.


	6. Denali

Chapter six – Denali

It had been has been six months since we left forks, left Bella, and it has been five months since Edward left, we hear from him now and again like he promised, last I heard he was in south America.

Carlisle decided that it would be nice for us to go up to Denali to visit Tanya and her coven while he and Jasper were on spring break from school.

"Esme, how do you fancy a visit to Denali to see Tanya, Kate, Irina, Carmen and Eleazar, we haven't seen them since the wedding and it would be nice to get away from Cornell for a few weeks while the school is on spring break, I'm sure the kids would like it." Carlisle sounded like a little kid while asking Esme if she wanted to go, he got very excited when we went to Denali.

"Okay love, why don't you ask the kids if they want to go, you'll have to phone Rose and Emmett they'll be back tomorrow and they might not want to travel more."

"Okay dear, I'll ask Alice and Jasper and then phone Rose and Em."

"Alice, Jasper."Carlisle called up to us in the computer room.

"Yes Carlisle, We'd love to, Alice seen your plan before you asked Esme, Of course we want to go to Denali, it would be nice to get away." Jasper always loved going to Denali, he loved the extra options when hunting and he loved the Denali covens company.

"Rose, how are you? Are you enjoying you're hone

"That's good, well yes there was a reason I was calling, Esme, Jasper, Alice and I are planning on going to Denali for spring break would you and Emmett like to join us?"

"Okay great, see you tomorrow." Carlisle hung up the phone.

"Alice, Rosalie is asking for you to pack her a suitcase to take with her to Denali, and also would you pack on for Emmett you know what he's like for packing."

"Okay Carlisle I'll do for them once Jasper and I are packed." I wasn't really looking forward to this all we were going to get was Tanya bugging us about Edward.

We arrived in Denali and Tanya, Kate and Irina were waiting to welcome us we hadn't seen them since Rose and Emmett's wedding in December.

They embraced us all with hugs and then showed us to our rooms at their lodge in the mountain, Jasper and I went to our room to unpack and then we were going hunting.

Tanya kept asking about Edward and how we packed up and left forks before we needed to, she upset me when she said that Edward was better off without Bella, no he wasn't but Tanya loved Edward so she liked the fact that Edward was no longer with Bella.

We had been hunting this morning and now Esme, Myself, Rose, Carmen and Irina were sat at the hot springs watching Emmett, Carlisle, Tanya, Kate and Eleazar skiing down the mountain face.

We had about three weeks left before we had to go back to Ithica for Jasper and Carlisle to start back at school.

We were sat at the hot springs watching Emmett, Jasper, Eleazar, Kate and Carmen having a snow ball fight.

Jasper Emmett, Eleazar, Kate and Carmen decided to go hunting so when they left to go hunting we decided to head back to the lodge, when we got back to the lodge I sat with Esme and Rosalie and talked about the latest fashions that were on the market at the moment.

I decided to go lay on mine and Jaspers bed to try and relax and take a little while to think about my old friendship with Bella, while everyone else finished talking or were out hunting.

When Jasper, Emmett, Eleazar, Kate and Carmen were back from hunting, I decided to join them in the living room, I walked over and sat next to Jasper who put his arms around me and kissed the top of my forehead.

Esme and Carlisle had decided to go hunting by them self's for some time with each other before we made our way back to Ithica.

Everyone else was sat on the couches talking about the earlier hunting trip and how funny Emmett was trying to agitate a grizzly when out of nowhere it hit me.

Bella was sitting on the beach when she shouted something at her self, next thing I knew she was running towards her truck and driving to the cliff.

Bella ran towards the cliff edge and stood with the toes on the edge, it looked as though she was waiting for someone, she then looked to be talking to someone as though the person she waited for had arrived, though I couldn't see them in my vision, she then took a step back, took one large breath and threw her self off the cliff.

She screamed as she was falling towards the water, it was harsh it looked like there was a storm on the way, what is she doing.

She dropped into the water and I waited for her to come back up, she never did.

"NO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs "NO! She couldn't she wouldn't, No." My head fell into my hands and I broke down. My best friend had just thrown her self off a cliff and killed herself.

"Alice what is it? What did you see?" Jasper was trying to console me while everyone else moved over to be closer to us.

"I-I-I" I couldn't get it out, "I had a vision about Bella."

They all seemed to look at me like I was a crazy person, maybe I was Bella would never do that, would she.

"Alice, what happened?" Jasper asked.

"Bella was sitting on the beach when she shouted something at her self, next thing I knew she was running towards her truck and driving to the cliff, She ran towards the cliff edge and stood with the toes on the edge, it looked as though she was waiting for someone, she took one large breath and threw her self off the cliff, She screamed as she was falling towards the water, it was harsh it looked like there was a storm on the way, She dropped into the water and I waited for her to come back up, she never did."

I lifted my head from my hands to look at Emmett, "She didn't come up, I waited but she didn't, Emmett she killed herself." Kate who was sat on the sofa next to me put her arms around me and I broke down on her shoulder.

"I need to go back to forks, Jasper I have to go." Emmett was looking at me shocked.

"Alice you can't, we promised Edward we wouldn't enter back into her life."Jasper never wanted to break promises especially ones he made to Edward.

"Her life is over, I just seen her kill herself Jasper."

"Alice I will not let you do this."

"You have no choice Jasper I am leaving; I'm going back to Forks."

I had to leave; I had to go back to Forks: I had to go and make sure that my vision was right: I needed it to be wrong I really did.

I jumped up from the sofa and up to the room we were staying in, I packed a suitcase, grabbed my phone and my purse and headed back down to the living room.

"Jasper, I need to go, I don't know what I'm going to do but I need to check, make sure it was right."

Jasper looked very sad.

"You can come with me if you want to Jasper."

"I can't, Alice, we promised and I don't think it's right if we just meddle in her life, haven't we hurt her enough?"

"I need to go Jasper, I will call you when I can, I love you."

I turned to Rosalie.

"Will you please let Esme and Carlisle know what has happened and tell them I will phone them as soon as I can to let them know what is happening."

I walked over to Jasper and kissed him, I said my goodbye's and thanked the Denali's for allowing me to stay, and I apologised for leaving in such a way.

I hugged a still very shocked Emmett and turn and left the Denali lodge.

I was sat in the Denali airport waiting for my flight to Seattle.

"Final call for the flight to Seattle" This was it I was on my way to Forks.

I got on the plane and took my seat in first class, I didn't have much time to think about what I was going to do for Charlie when I got there, I would help him with the funeral plans if he needed me to, I would have to phone Edward to tell him what had happened I would tell him and the family the date of the funeral so they could be here because even though we left her, Bella was still a member of our family and we all loved her like a sister or daughter and we would all want to pay our respects to her, I'd been thinking so much about planning Bella's funeral and how I was going to help Charlie and how the family was going to help Edward through this that before I knew it I was in Seattle airport and about to board my flight to Port Angeles.

An hour later I arrived in Port Angeles, from Port Angeles to our old house in forks to get Carlisle's car, I couldn't turn up on Charlie's front porch without any means of travel.

I pulled up to Charlie's house it was dark out and there were no lights on in the house.

About half an hour after I arrived at Charlie's, a truck pulled up outside, it sat idle outside for a while before it started to drive off again all of a sudden it stopped and the driver jumped out and started running off but the truck turned and made it's way back to the house.

I was stood in the hall waiting for them to enter the house.

The front door swung open and someone was stood there fumbling along the wall for the light switch, I flipped on the light expecting to see a very upset and depressed Charlie, but it wasn't Charlie who stood in front of me.


	7. Bella

Chapter Seven – Bella

I stood in the hallway with my eyes intent on her face, Oh Bella. But she was supposed to be dead, I'd seen it in my vision she drown, but here she stood before me.

Her knees seemed to give way in shock and she almost fell to the ground, but she hurdled herself at me.

"Alice, oh, Alice." She cried as she slammed into my rock hard body.

"Bella?" I was very confused by the situation but also relieved that she was alive, my vision was wrong.

Bella locked her arms around me and started to breathe in deeply, no doubt smelling my scent.

Suddenly Bella broke down crying, so I dragged her into the living room and pulled her into my lap to try and sooth and comfort her.

I started to rub her back to try and sooth her more.

"I'm... sorry," she blubbered "I'm just... so happy... to see you!"

Bella has missed me as much as I had missed her, she really was my best friend ever, if I could have cried I would have, but I can't so I settled on trying to calm Bella down from her hysterics.

"Its okay, Bella, everything is okay."

"Yes." She balled at me.

I couldn't help but let out a sigh at how she was, "I'd forgotten how exuberant you are," I was disappointed I didn't want my best friend to be so upset; I was here for her now.

Stupid Edward, He's broken her heart so badly. I couldn't help but be more upset with my brother because he hadn't only broken her heart by leaving her but he also made us move away from her she lost the love of her life and her best friend within three days.

I was trying hard not to breathe to much as I hadn't hunted for two weeks and I was thirsty, I didn't think I just jumped on a plane, and I had a human sitting on my lap curved into my figure.

I had my lips pressed together in a firm line.

"Oh." Bella seemed to notice the look on my face, "Sorry."

"It's my own fault, it's been too long since I hunted, I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty, but I was in a rush today." I glared down at Bella who was still sitting in my arms, "Speaking of which, would you like to explain to me how you're alive?"

This seemed to bring Bella up short; it stopped the sobs at least. What I meant hit her and she realized why I was here. Bella swallowed hard.

"You saw me fall."

"No." I couldn't help but disagree, that was not what I saw I didn't see her fall I seen her jump. "I saw you jump."

Bella perched her lips, was she thinking of an excuse for why she survived her suicidal jump. I shook my head "I told him this would happen, but he didn't believe me, 'Bella promised'"

She seemed to freeze in shock.

"'Don't be looking for her future either, We've done enough damage' but just because I'm not looking doesn't mean I don't see, I wasn't keeping tabs on you, I swear Bella, It's just that I'm already attuned to you... When I saw you jumping, I didn't think, I just got on a plane, I knew I was too late, But I couldn't do nothing. And then I got here, thinking maybe I could help Charlie somehow, and then you drive up." I shook my head I was very confused.

My voice was strained, "I saw you go into the water and I waited and waited for you to come up, but you didn't. What happened? And how could you do that to Charlie? Did you stop to think what this would do to him? And my brother? Do you have any idea how Edward..." Bella cut me off as soon as she heard Edward's name.

"Alice, I wasn't committing suicide." I couldn't help not believing her.

"Are you saying you didn't jump off a cliff?"

"No but..." she grimaced at me, "It was for recreational purposes only."

What recreational purpose? What is she saying?

"I'd seen some of Jacob's friends cliff diving. It looked fun... and I was bored..."

I waited for Bella to continue what she was saying, as I had no idea of what to reply to what she was saying.

"I didn't think about how the storm would affect the currents. Actually I didn't think about the water much at all."

I didn't buy what she was saying, there was something else going on here.

"So if you saw me go in. Why didn't you see Jacob?"

Jacob? Someone was with her, I didn't see anyone else. Bella was on her own in my vision.

"It's true that I probably would have drowned if Jacob hadn't jumped in after me. Well, okay, there's no probably about it. But he did, and he pulled me out, and I guess he towed me back to shore, though I was kinda out for that part, It couldn't have been more than a minute that I was under before he grabbed me. How come you didn't see that?"

I frowned "someone pulled you out?"

"Yes. Jacob saved me."

I was sure a few emotions were playing on my face as I was feeling quite a few emotions inside as I thought about my vision.

I leaned in and deliberately sniffed Bella's shoulder. Can't be.

"Don't be ridiculous" I muttered to myself, but I took a few more sniffs to make sure.

"What are you doing?" Bella sounded confused but I didn't answer her question but asked my own instead.

"Who was out there just now? It sounded like you were arguing."

"Jacob Black. He's... sort of my best friend." Best friend, she had a new best friend, guess I deserve that I did up and leave her without as much as a goodbye or anything, Maybe I'd hurt her to much by leaving that she didn't want me to be her friend any longer.

"I guess at least, he was..."

I was thinking about the smell, I knew that smell but I couldn't quite figure out why I knew it, or what it was.

Bella seemed to notice that I was distracted, "What?"

"I don't know, I'm not sure what it means,"

"Well I'm not dead at least," Bella pointed out. I rolled my eyes at her.

"He was a fool to think you could survive alone... I've never seen anyone so prone to life threatening idiocy."

"I survived." She pointed out.

How did this Jacob Black get Bella out if the currents were so strong?

"So, if the currents were too much for you, how did this Jacob manage?"

"Jacob is... strong," She seemed very reluctant to answer the question.

I raised my eyebrows at her, something wasn't right about this.

Bella chewed on her lip for a second and then continued, "See, well, he's... sort of a werewolf." I knew it, I knew I had smelt that smell before!

"The Quileutes turn into wolves when there are vampires around, they know Carlisle from a long time ago. Were you with Carlisle back then?"

How did she know so much about the werewolves? I realised that I was gawking at Bella so I pulled myself together blinking rapidly. "Well I guess that explains the smell," I muttered to myself.

"But does it explain what I didn't see?"

"The smell?" Bella repeated.

"You smell awful," I wasn't really concentrating on what I was saying I was thinking about what Bella had said about werewolves. "A werewolf? Are you sure?" I had to make sure in case she just misunderstood him.

"Very sure," Bella seemed to wince while she said this.

"I guess you weren't with Carlisle the last time there were werewolves here in forks?"

"No, I hadn't found him yet." I was still lost in thought about the werewolves. I was shocked.

"Your best friend is a werewolf?" I was hurting.

She nodded sheepishly at me.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Not long," she sounded defensive, "He's only been a werewolf for just a few weeks."

A few weeks! He's young. "A young werewolf even worse! Edward was right- you are a magnet for danger. Weren't you supposed to be staying out of trouble?"

"There's nothing wrong with werewolves." She grumbled at me.

"Until they loose their tempers." I shook my head sharply from side to side. "Leave it to you, Bella, Anyone else would be been off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging around with the first monsters you find."

"No, Alice, the vampires didn't really leave- not all of them, anyway, that's the whole trouble. If it weren't for the werewolves, Victoria would have gotten me by now. Well if it weren't for Jake and his friends, Laurent would have gotten me before she could, I guess, so-"

I cut her off.

"Victoria? Laurent?" I hissed at her.

Bella nodded at the question, she seemed to be alarmed by something, probably my reaction to the thought of Victoria and Laurent being near her.

Bella pointed at her chest. "Danger magnet remember?"

I shook my head again.

"Tell me everything- start at the beginning."

Bella told me everything that had happened over the last six months, I didn't really like her explanation for being bored and jumping off a cliff because she had seen Jacob Black's friends do it once before.

She told me that when she was out of the water she seen a strange red flame, she went on to tell me that se thought it might have been Victoria.

Bella swallowed hard and continued.

While she continued to tell me everything that had happened I sat in silence, nodding occasionally.

Bella finally fell quiet; she was very upset about the passing of Charlie's friend Harry.

I thought that now was the best time to ask her a few questions.

"Our leaving didn't do you any good at all, did it?" Bella laughed at this statement once- it was a slightly hysterical sound.

"That was never the point, though, was it? It's not like you left for my benefit."

Oh Bella, Why else would we have left you? We've hurt her so much.

I scowled at the floor for a moment before I replied.

"Well... I guess I acted impulsively today. I probably shouldn't have intruded."

I could see Bella's face turn white, the blood drained from her face when I said this.

"Don't go, Alice," She whispered to me. Her fingers were locked around the collar of my shirt and she started to hyperventilate. "Please don't leave me."

I opened my eyes wide, was this what she was like when Edward was leaving her?

"All right," I told her, enunciating each word with slow precision, I couldn't stand to see her hurt again, "I'm not going anywhere tonight. Take a deep breath."

Bella did as I told her and took a deep breath, I watched her face as she concentrated on her breathing, I waited until she was calmer before I'd say anything.

"You look like hell Bella."

"I drowned today," she tried to remind me, Not that I could forget.

"It goes deeper than that. You're a mess."

Bella flinched at this comment, "Look, I'm doing my best."

"What do you mean?" this confused me.

"It hasn't been easy. I'm working on it."

I frowned at this. "I told him." I said more to myself than to Bella.

"Alice," she sighed. "What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to see me skipping around and whistling show tunes? You know me better than that."

"I do. But I hoped."

"Then I guess I don't have the corner on the idiocy market."

The phone rang just after Bella said this.

"That has to be Charlie," Bella said, staggering to her feet. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with her to the kitchen; it was like she didn't want me to be out of her sight in case I decided to run away again.

"Charlie?" Bella said as she answered the phone.

"Jake!" I scrutinized my expression.

"I'm fine. I told you it wasn't-"

Bella sighed and let her head hang back, staring at the ceiling, "That's going to be a problem."

I squeezed Bella's hand. "They aren't excited I'm here."

"Not especially. But it's none of their business anyway."

I put my arm around Bella "So what do we do now?" I was talking to myself, "Things to do. Loose ends to tie."

"What thing's to do?" Bella seemed very interested in what I had to do.

"I don't know for sure... I need to see Carlisle."

"Could you stay?" She begged, "Please? Just for a little while. I've missed you so much." Bella's voice broke at the end of this sentence.

She had really missed me, could she forgive me for leaving her without a goodbye, could she be my best friend once again?

"If you think that's a good idea." I wasn't sure about this though, what would Edward say when he found out I'd broken my promise to stay away from her? I was upset about my brother being mad at me for staying with Bella.

"I do. You could stay here – Charlie would love that."

"I have a house, Bella." I didn't want to upset Edward any more than I already have.

Bella nodded at me. She looked disappointed, I hesitated as I thought about Edward, he would be mad at me anyway might as well get the most out of this, Also I was studying Bella she really needed a friend with her at the moment she was still broken over Edward.

"Well, I need to get a suitcase of clothes, at the very least."

Bella threw her arms around me, "Alice, You're the best!"

"And I think I'll need to hunt. Immediately," I added in a strained voice.

"Oops." Bella took a step backwards.

"Can you stay out of trouble for one hour?" I asked sceptically, before Bella could answer I held up my finger and closed my eyes.

Opening my eyes again I said "Yes, you'll be fine. For tonight anyway." I grimaced.

"You'll come back?" she asked in a small voice.

"I promise – one hour." Bella glanced at the clock over the kitchen table. I laughed at her and leaned in quickly to kiss her on the cheek. Then I left Bella's house.

I ran into to forest opposite Bella's house to hunt I didn't want to go to far as I promised to be back in an hour, and Bella would be expecting me back in the hour, I started my hunt I hunted three elk and two dear.

When I had finished my hunting trip I had 20 minutes left of the hour I had promised Bella, so I decided to take a trip to our house and pick up my suitcase I had brought with me from Denali, as I would need spare clothes for my stay at Bella's house.

When I got to the house I could smell a familiar scent, it was not human it was vampire, bit I couldn't quite place it to the person who left it behind, it wasn't a member of my family, while I was trying to place the scent something that Bella had said when I was at her house earlier that night hit me, 'If it weren't for Jake and his friends, Laurent would have gotten me before.' Laurent was here; he must have remembered that Bella was part of our family and come to the house looking for her, not knowing that we had left forks.

I was quite shocked that Bella's scent was on the driveway but it wasn't that recent but it was from after we had left forks, but why would Bella come to the house knowing that we wouldn't be here? And on her own, I could tell that she was on her own as there was no other scent human or werewolf.

After I gathered my clothes I made my way back to Bella's house, I walked in and sat in the living room while Bella ate in the kitchen, Bella had made me a makeshift bed on the couch, she knew that I wouldn't need it but must have thought that Charlie would need to see it if I was staying I would need a bed.

Bella walked through from the kitchen, she looked a little shocked to see me back and sitting in the living room waiting for her.

"Thanks," I said as I patted the pillow.

"You're early," Bella said.

She sat down on the couch next to me and put her head on my shoulder, I put my arm around her and sighed.

"Bella. What are we going to do with you?" I asked her.

"I don't know," she admitted to me, "I really have been trying my hardest." Oh Bella, Poor Bella.

"I believe you." And I did believe that she had tried her hardest.

Bella was silent.

"Does – does he..." Bella took a deep breath before continuing, I knew who she was trying to talk about and I understood how hard for her it must be for her to talk about him.

"Does Edward know you're here?" she really did need him here with her.

"No." I told her honestly.

"He's not with Carlisle and Esme?"

"He checks in every few months." And he was going to kill me when he found out that I'd come to see Bella, even though I thought that she had killed herself.

"Oh."

Bella's features changed she looked curious and also as if she wanted to change the subject.

"You said you flew here... Where did you come from?"

"I was in Denali. Visiting Tanya's family."

"Is Jasper here? Did he come with you?"

I shook my head at her.

"He didn't approve of my interfering. We promised..." I trailed off, I don't really think that Bella needs to hear how Edward made us promise to stay out of her life, to leave her have a normal human life, a future without vampires.


	8. Charlie

hapter Eight – Charlie

I changed my tone and the subject as I heard Charlie's police cruiser pull onto the street.

"And you think Charlie won't mind me being here?" I was slightly worried about Charlie's reaction to my being here, what with leaving Bella broken, also the time wasn't really the best timing as his friend had just past, would he want me to stay here?

"Charlie thinks you're wonderful, Alice." She assured me.

"Well, we're just about to find out." I replied.

A few seconds later the police cruiser pulled into the driveway, Bella jumped up and went to open the front door.

I made my way into the shadows of the hall way to wait for the best time to show myself, I watched Charlie walk up the walkway, Bella walked out to meet her father. He didn't notice her until she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him; he embraced her and hugged her fiercely. I could hear their conversation from where I stood in the hallway.

I watched the father, daughter embrace, it was special to see it, they really loved each other.

"I'm so sorry about Harry, Dad."

"I'm really going to miss him," Charlie mumbled to Bella, I really felt for him, I understood what he was going through, as it is what I have experienced the last few months not being able to see my best friend, loosing her as a best friend, but I didn't know how it felt when that friend had died as she had not, he was never going to see his friend again and it was really upsetting.

"How's Sue doing?" she asked her father while still in his embrace.

"She seems dazed, like she hasn't grasped it yet, Sam's staying with her..." Charlie's voice faded.

"Those poor kids. Leah's just a year older than you, and Seth is only fourteen..." Charlie shook his head.

He kept his arm around Bella as they made their way to the house together.

"Um, Dad? You'll never guess who's here."

Charlie looked at Bella blankly, and then he whipped his head around to look at Carlisle's black Mercedes across the street.

I guessed that now was as good a time as any to make my presence known, I stepped forward out of the shadows to stand in the doorway.

"Hi, Charlie," I said in a subdued voice, "I'm sorry I came at such a bad time."

"Alice Cullen? Alice, is that you?" he looked and sounded as if he doubted what he saw.

"It's me," I confirmed, "I was in the neighbourhood."

"Is Carlisle...?"

"No, I'm alone," both Bella and I knew he wasn't asking about Carlisle his arm tightened around Bella's shoulder.

"She can stay here, can't she?" Bella pleaded. "I've already asked her,"

"Of course," Charlie said mechanically. "We'd love to have you, Alice."

"Thank you, Charlie, I know its horrid timing."

"No, it's fine, really, I'm going to be really busy doing what I can for Harry's family; it will be nice for Bella to have some company."

"There's dinner for you on the table, Dad," Bella told Charlie.

"Thanks Bell." He give Bella one more squeeze before he shuffled into the kitchen.

I sat back on the couch, and Bella followed me. This time, I was the one to pull her against my shoulder.

"You look tired,"

"Yeah," she agreed and shrugged, "near death experiences do that to me...So, what does Carlisle think of you being here?"

"He doesn't know. He and Esme were on a hunting trip. I'll hear from him in a few days, when he gets back."

"You won't tell him, though... when he checks in again?" Bella asked me, I knew she wasn't on about Carlisle.

"No. He'd bite my head off," I told her grimly.

Bella laughed once and then sighed.

Bella was trying to fight the sleep that was trying to over take her, she had, had a long day, her eyes wouldn't stay open, She placed her head on my shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

I softly moved her so that she was laying on the makeshift bed that she had made for me and put her under the covers she needed her rest.

I sat in the recliner and watched her sleep.

The next morning when Charlie came down stairs I went out the kitchen to talk to him, and get the answers I needed but wouldn't get from Bella, about how she was when we left.

I sat at the table while Charlie made himself breakfast which I declined and told him I would have breakfast with Bella when she woke up.

"How bad was it, Charlie?" I asked him softly.

Charlie sighed, that's a bad sign, "Real bad."

"Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened when we left."

Charlie paused for a few seconds while getting something out of the cupboard and turning the stove off.

"I've never felt so helpless," Charlie started slowly, "I didn't know what to do. That first week – I thought I was going to have to hospitalize her." Oh my, what did we do, "She wouldn't eat or drink, she wouldn't move, Dr Gerandy was throwing around words like 'catatonic' , but I didn't let him up to see her. I was afraid it would scare her."

"She snapped out of it though?" Please say yes.

"I had Renee come to take her to Florida. I just didn't want to be the one... if she had to go to hospital or something. I hoped being with her mother would help. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never one for the tantrums, but, boy did she fly into a fury. She threw her clothes everywhere and screamed that we couldn't make her leave – and then she finally started crying. I thought that would be the turning point. I didn't argue when she insisted on staying here... and she did seem to get better at first..." Charlie trailed off.

Oh poor Charlie, he had to pick up the pieces and deal with the upset that we had left behind of a broken Bella, he must have been in so much pain having to see his one and only daughter go through this.

"But?" I prompted.

"She went back to school and work, she ate and slept and did her homework. She answered when someone asked her a direct question. But she was... empty. Her eyes were blank. There were lots of little things – she wouldn't listen to music anymore; I found a bunch of CDs broken in the trash. She didn't read; she wouldn't be in the same room when the TV was on, not that she watched it so much before." She was avoiding anything that reminded her of Edward.

"I finally figured it out – she was avoiding everything that might remind her of... him. We could hardly talk; I was worried about saying something that would upset her – the littlest things would make her flinch – and she never volunteered anything. She would just answer if I asked her something. She was alone all the time. She didn't call her friends back, after a while they stopped calling." She give up on all her friends just because we left, maybe she didn't want anyone else if Edward was gone, we were almost her family we all thought of her as a sister or a daughter maybe she thought of us like her family too and that's why she give up on everything, because she had lost her family.

"It was night of the living dead around her. I still hear her screaming in her sleep..." Charlie shuddered at this.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie," I said, my voice glum.

"It's not your fault." The way he said 'your' made it perfectly clear to me who he was holding responsible for this, "You were always a good friend to her."

"She seems better now, though."

"Yeah. Ever since she started hanging around with Jacob Black, I've noticed a real improvement." I couldn't help but feel the slightest bit jealous of Jacob Black because he was there looking after her when I couldn't but I was back now and if I could help it I'm not going anywhere.

"She has some colour in her cheeks when she comes home, some light in her eyes. She's happier," Charlie paused.

"He's a year or so younger than her, and I know she used to think of him as a friend, but I think maybe it's something more now, or headed that direction, anyway." Charlie's tone was almost belligerent when he said this, it was like it was a warning, not for me but for me to pass along to Bella.

"Jake's old for his years," he still sounded defensive when he continued, "He's taken care of his father physically the way Bella took care of her mother emotionally. It matured him. He's a good-looking kid, too – takes after his mom's side. He's good for Bella, you know," Charlie insisted.

"Then it's good she has him," I agreed.

Charlie sighed out a big gust of air.

"Okay, so I guess that's overstating things. I don't know... even with Jacob, now and then I see something in her eyes, and I wonder if I've ever grasped how much pain she's really in. It's not normal, Alice, and it... it frightens me. Not normal at all. Not like someone... left her, but like someone died." His voice cracked.

Charlie continued with a hopeless tone. "I don't know if she's ever going to get over it – I'm not sure if it's in her nature to heal from something like this. She's always been such a constant little thing. She doesn't get past things, change her mind."

"She's one of a kind," I agreed in a dry voice, if I could have cried I would have, hearing how my best friend was broken for so many months and how she still hasn't healed one bit from it.

"And Alice..." Charlie hesitated, "Now, you know how fond I am of you, and I can tell that she's happy to see you, but... I'm a little worried about what your visit will do to her."

"So am I, Charlie, so am I. I wouldn't have come if I'd had any idea. I'm sorry." I couldn't help but apologize for my brother's mistake.

"Don't apologize honey. Who knows? Maybe it will be good for her."

"I hope you're right." I couldn't stand hurting her like that again, Edward needs to come back, I know he thinks that Bella is better off without him, but if he could just see what she has been like, he would know that leaving was never the best option.

There was a break in the conversation while Charlie ate his breakfast.

"Alice, I have to ask you something," Charlie said awkwardly.

"Go ahead," I replied calmly.

"He's not coming back to visit, too, is he?" I could hear the suppressed anger in Charlie's voice, he was really upset with Edward for doing this to his one and only daughter, for hurting his Bella.

I answered in a soft reassuring tone, "He doesn't even know I'm here. The last time I spoke with him, he was in South America."

"That's something, at least" Charlie snorted. "Well, I hope he's enjoying himself."

If only Charlie knew how upset Edward was and what he was doing at this moment, trying to keep Bella safe from Victoria.

"I wouldn't make assumptions, Charlie." My voice was harsh, a bit of steel to it.

Charlie pushed his chair out from the table to get up, which made a loud scraping noise long the floor, that would have woken Bella up, he then went to the sink and started to clean his dishes.

Nothing more would be said on this subject, I was about to get up to go into the living room for when Bella wok up when I heard the springs in the couch squeak and Bella yawning, Bella was awake, had she heard our whole conversation or had she only just woken up?

"Alice?" Bella asked innocently; her voice was raspy.

"I'm in the kitchen Bella," I called through to her.

Soon after Charlie left to go back to LaPush to help Harry's wife and family with the funeral arrangements.

Bella and I talked about my family – all but one, and what everyone was doing in Ithica, I told her that Carlisle was working nights in Ithica and teaching part-time at Cornell. Esme was restoring the house that we were living in, in Ithica. Emmett and Rosalie had gone to Europe for their honeymoon but were back now. Jasper was studying Philosophy at Cornell. And that I had been doing some personal research, concerning the information Bella had accidentally found out last spring.

"My name was Mary Alice Brandon, I had a little sister named Cynthia. Her daughter – My niece – is still alive in Biloxi." I told her about being in an asylum.

"Did you find out why they put you in... that place?"

I shook my head. "I couldn't find much about them. I went through all the old newspapers on microfiche. My family wasn't mentioned often; they weren't part of the social circle that made the papers. My parents' engagement was there, and Cynthia's. My birth was announced... and my death. I found my grave. I also filched my admissions sheet from the old asylum archives. The date on the admissions sheet and the date on my tombstone are the same."

Bella looked as though she didn't know what to say about what I had just told her.

I told her that all of my family, but one, was now back together and spending spring break in Denali with Tanya's family. Bella listened a bit too eagerly to even the most trivial news. I never mentioned Edward because I knew what it would do to her, even though I knew that he was the one that she was most interested in hearing about.

Charlie didn't get back until after dark, and he looked more worn than he had last night. He would be headed back to LaPush first thing tomorrow morning for Harry's funeral. Bella stayed on the couch again tonight, while I sat in the recliner watching her sleep again.

When Charlie came down in the morning he was wearing a suit that looked a couple of years old and the jacket hung open I guessed that it wouldn't close, the tie was a bit wide for the current style.

He tiptoed to the door, while Bella lay pretending to sleep on the couch and I on the recliner.

As soon as Charlie was out of the door I sat up, I was fully dressed under the quilt.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked Bella.

"I don't know- do you see anything interesting happening?"

I smiled at her and shook my head.

"But it's still early."

Bella decided that she needed to do some house work for Charlie while he was at the funeral because of all the time she had been spending down LaPush she hadn't really had time to do it lately.

While Bella worked I leaned against the door jam asking her questions about our high school friends, I kept my face casual and emotionless, but deep down I was very disappointed that she couldn't tell me much about them.

Bella was scrubbing the floor of the bathtub when the door bell rang, it had surprised me, I hadn't seen anyone coming to the house.

Bella looked at me once, and then shouted down the stairs.

"Hold on!"

She rushed to the sink to rinse off the comet that she had been using to clean the bathtub off of her arms.

"Bella," I said with a frustrated voice, "I have a fairly good guess who that might be, and I think I'd better step out."

"Guess?" Bella was shocked that I had to guess anything.

"If this is a repeat of my egregious lapse in foresight yesterday, then it's most likely Jacob Black or one of his... friends."

Bella stared at me, "You can't see werewolves?"

I grimaced "So it would seem." I was very annoyed by this fact.

The doorbell rang again, buzzing twice and impatiently.

"You don't have to go anywhere, Alice. You were here first."

I laughed, "Trust me - it wouldn't be a good idea to have me and Jacob Black in a room together."

I kissed Bella's cheek swiftly and vanished through Charlie's door and out of the back window.

I landed on the back lawn and I heard the doorbell go again, god those werewolves were impatient.


	9. Edward

Chapter Nine – Edward

I decided to go to the house while Jacob was at Bella's so that I could have a few moments to myself to think about what I was going to do next.

I couldn't leave Bella again, but would Edward allow us to come back if he knows how much she's been hurting.

Would Esme and Carlisle try to convince him to come back to her?

I decided to check Bella's future while she was with Jacob and while his friends were around also to see if the theory that had come to me last night was true, again I found nothing, I guess this is going to be a pain, not being able to see Bella's future while she's around those stinking things.

I walked around the house for a few minutes and decided to get the furniture out of storage and to uncover the pieces that were still in the house to make it a little bit more homely while I was back, I would be spending time here when Jacob Black was at Bella's.

After I had finished uncovering everything I decided to make my way back to Bella's and hunt on the way.

I was in the forest outside Bella's waiting for Jacob and his friends to leave, I could hear Bella's conversation with Jacob, not that I was checking up on them, when it hit me.

Edward was on his way to Italy, to ask to die, but why?

I pulled my phone from my bag.

"Hello?" someone answered on a strong Spanish accent.

"How did you get this phone?"

"It was in the trash."

I hung up, Edward must have known I would see him and would try talk him out of what he was doing.

I ran over to Bella's house to quickly for Jacob Blacks friends to see me, and ran through the front door.

Bella was on the floor when I entered the house and Jacob Black was making his way to the back door while she struggled pulled herself up.

I stood motionless at the foot of the stairs, I could just about speak.

"Bella," I chocked.

Bella scrambled to her feet and lurched herself to my side. My body was trembling trying to think of what was happening and how I was going to tell Bella.

"Alice, what's wrong?" she cried at me. She put her hands on my face to try and calm me, not that it helped.

I focused my eyes on Bella's face, how was I? Going to do this she was already broken by the fact that he had left her in the first place and now for this.

"Edward," was all I could whisper to her.

Bella's body started to sway.

Jacob roaring voice was screaming profanities, the next minute he pulled her to the couch, still swearing and starting to shake, oh no, this isn't good he needs to move away from Bella if he's going to do that.

"What did you do to her?" He demanded but I ignored him, Bella was my main priority at the moment I really didn't have time to deal with this werewolf.

"Bella? Bella, snap out of it, we have to hurry."

"Stay back," Jacob warned me.

"Calm down, Jacob Black." I ordered him, "You don't want to do that so close to her."

"I don't think I'll have any problem with my focus," He sounded a little cooler now.

"Alice? What happened?" Bella asked me.

"I don't know," I wailed "What is he thinking?"

I pulled my phone out of my bag and dialled Rosalie's number.

"Hello?"

"Rose, I need to talk with Carlisle now."

"He's not here, Alice, He's still out hunting, I can get him to call you when he gets back."

"Fine, as soon as he's back. No, I'll be on a plane. Look, have you heard from Edward?"

"Yeah, I thought I'd better phone him to tell him about Bella and to tell him that you'd gone back to Forks to see what you could do to help."

"Why? Why would you do that, Rosalie?"

"I thought that if Bella was dead that it would be best for him to know about it, anyway it's not like he's going to something stupid over a human Alice he's not that stupid, so I don't see what the problem is."

I didn't like her tone, but I still couldn't understand why she'd do that.

"Well, you're wrong on both accounts, though, Rosalie, so that would be a problem, don't you think.

"What? Bella's alive?"

"Yes, that's right. She's absolutely fine – I was wrong."

"But you seen her jump and it go all blank, how's that possible?"

"It's a long story."

"Edward wouldn't do something stupid though would he?."

"You're wrong about that part, too, that's why I'm calling."

"What did you see Alice? Did you see Edward going to kill himself over Bella's death?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I saw."

"Oh no, what have I done, I'm so sorry Alice, If I had any idea I wouldn't have called him."

"It's a bit late for that, Rose. Save your remorse for someone who believes it." I snapped my phone shut with a swift sharp twist of my finger.

I turned back to face Bella.

"Alice," Bella blurted out before I could say anything.

"Alice, Carlisle is back, though, he called just before..."

I looked at Bella.

"How long ago?" I asked with a hollow voice

"Half a minute before you showed up."

What? Why would Carlisle phone Bella's house?

"What did he say?" I was completely focused on Bella now, waiting for her answer.

"I didn't talk to him," Bella's eyes flickered to Jacob.

I turned my gaze to Jacob; he flinched, but held his place next to Bella.

He sat awkwardly, like he was trying to shield Bella from me, as if she'd need shielding from me, I wasn't the one who would shift into a giant wolf.

"He asked for Charlie, and I told him that Charlie wasn't here," Jacob muttered resentfully.

"Is that all?" I demanded my voice like ice.

"Then he hung up on me." Jacob spat back at me, he shock and Bella shock along with him.

"You told him that Charlie was at the funeral," Bella reminded him.

I jerked my head back to Bella.

"What were his exact words?"

"He said, 'He's not here,' and when Carlisle asked where Charlie was, Jacob said, 'At the funeral.'"

I moaned and my legs give way and I collapsed onto my knees.

"Tell me, Alice." Bella whispered.

"That wasn't Carlisle on the phone," I said hopelessly.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Jacob snarled from beside Bella.

I ignored Jacobs comment and focused on the bewildered look on Bella's face.

"It was Edward." My words were just a chocked whisper. "He thinks you're dead."

"Rosalie told him I killed myself, didn't she?" Bella sighed, she seemed to relax.

"Yes," I admitted my eyes flashed hard again.

"In her defence, she did believe it. They rely on my sight far too much for something that works so imperfectly. But for her to track him down to tell him this! Didn't she realise... or care...?" My voice faded away in horror.

"Alice, When Edward called here, he thought Jacob meant my funeral," Bella's nails dug into Jacobs arm.

I looked at Bella strangely. "You're not upset?" I whispered.

"Well, it's rotten timing, but it will get straightened out. The next time he calls, someone will tell him... what... really."Bella trailed off.

I was so panicked, how could I tell her he wasn't going to call again, he was going to die?

"Bella," I whispered, "Edward won't call again. He believed her."

"'." Bella framed each word in silence.

"He's going to Italy."

"NO!" Bella's half-shrieked denial was so loud after my whispered words, it made all three of us jump.

Bella's face started to turn red. "No! No, no, no! He can't! He can't do that!"

"He made up his mind as soon as your friend confirmed that it was too late to save you."

"But he... he left! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He knew I would die sometime!"

"I don't think he planned to outlive you by long," I said quietly.

"How dare he!" Bella screamed, she was now on her feet, Jacob rose and put himself between myself and Bella again.

"Oh, get out of the way Jacob!" Bella elbowed her way around his trembling body.

"What do we do?" Bella begged me.

"Can't we call him? Can't Carlisle?"

I was shaking my head, "That was the first thing I tried. He left his phone in a trash can in rio – someone answered it..." I whispered.

"You said before we had to hurry. Hurry how? Let's do it, whatever it is."

"Bella, I- I don't think I can ask you to..." I trailed off in indecision.

Could I ask her to do this, I really needed her too, the whole family really needed this, she would be the only one Edward would listen to.

"Ask me!" Bella commanded.

I put my hands on Bella's shoulders holding her in place, my fingers flexing sporadically to emphasize my words.

"We may already be too late. I saw him going to the volturi... asking to die." We both flinched, Bella started to blink back tears feverishly.

"It all depends on what they choose. I can't see that till they make a decision. But if they say no, and they might – Aro is fond of Carlisle, and wouldn't want to offend him – Edward has a back up plan. They are very protective of their city. If Edward does something to upset the piece, he thinks they'll act to stop him. And he's right. They will"

Bella stared at me with her jaw clenched.

"So if they agree to grant his favour, we're too late. If they no, and he comes up with an idea to offend them quickly enough, we're too late. If he gives into his more theatrical tendencies... we might have time."

"Let's go!"

"Listen, Bella! Whether we are in time or not, we will be in the heart of the volturi city, I will be considered an accomplice if he's successful. You will be a human who not only knows too much, but also smells too good. There's a very good chance that they will eliminate us all – though in your case it won't be punishment so much as dinnertime."

"This is what's keeping us here?" Bella asked in disbelief.

"I'll go alone if you're afraid."

"I'm only afraid of getting you killed."

Bella snorted in disgust. "I almost get myself killed on a daily basis! Tell me what I need to do."

"You write a note to Charlie. I'll call the airlines."

"Charlie," Bella gasped.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to Charlie," Jacob's voice was low and gruff, "Screw the treaty."

"Hurry Bella." I interrupted.

Bella ran to the kitchen to write a note to Charlie and I phoned the airlines.

"Hello, Port Angeles airport, Susan talking. How may I help you this afternoon?"

"Hello, I am going to need two first class tickets on the next flight to Florence please."

"Okay I'll just check that for you, please hold."

"Okay the next flight from port angeles to Florence leaves in one hour. The flight will make a change in New York and then it will go from New York to Florence. Is that flight okay for you?"

"Yes, thank you that flight will be perfect thank you. How much are those tickets than please?"

"Would you like single flights or return flights than Miss?"

"singles please."

"That will be "$1,115 then Miss."

"Would it be okay to pay for them over the phone now or will I have to pay for them when I get to the airport?"

"It is fine for you to pay for them now and then give your name when you get to the airport Miss."

"Yes please that would be great."

"If I could just ask you for your card number then please Miss?"

"Yes, My card number is 7734-4545-4443-4655."

"Okay, your tickets have been paid for and have been reserved if I could just take the names of the people flying just for verification when you pick them up at the airport."

"I am Miss Alice Cullen and my friend who will be flying with me is Miss Isabella Swan."

"Okay, your tickets have been reserved for you, Miss Cullen. I hope you enjoy your trip."

"Thank you, goodbye."

I hung up the phone, picked up my bag and made my way to the living room door way just as Bella was making her way back from the kitchen.

"Get you wallet- you'll need ID, Please tell me you have a passport I don't have time to forge one."

Bella nodded and then raced up the stairs.

While Bella was up stairs I fished trough my bag for the car keys we needed to leave as soon as possible to make our flight.

I turned to head for the door and opened it when I heard Jacob say "Where are you taking her?" He demanded.

"I need her to do this, she needs to save Edward, She needs to save him for our family and she needs to save him for her. I know that she wouldn't be able to live if he was dead. Charlie told me how she has been since we left forks. Could you imagine how she would be if he died?"

"That's not what I asked Bloodsucker."

"I am taking her to Italy to save Edward, My brother and the love of her life! Dog."

I knew that saying that would hurt him; it was evident how he felt about Bella.

Bella stumbled down the stairs at that moment.

"You might be able to control yourself on occasion but these leeches you're taking her to-"

"Yes, you're right dog." I snarled at him, "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the sustenance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."

"And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" He shouted at me.

"You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?"

"We can handle the red head."

"Then why is she still hunting?"

Jacob growled, and a shudder rippled through his torso.

"Stop that!" Bella shouted at us both, wild with impatience, "Argue when we get back, let's go!"

I turned for the car, I heard Bella hurrying after me, she paused to lock the front door.

Jacob caught her arm, "Please, Bella. I'm begging."

"Jake, I have to -"I heard her say to him.

"You don't though. Your really don't." I growled at this. "You could stay here with me. You could stay alive. For Charlie. For me."

I revved the car impatiently, Jacob was starting to get a little annoying with his school boy crush he was too young for Bella like Charlie had said to me yesterday morning.

Bella shook her head, and pulled her arm free Jacob didn't fight her, smart move.

"Don't die, Bella," He choked out. "Don't go. Don't."

A sob broke out of Bella's chest she was hurting her best friend.

She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him, he put his hand on the back of her hair, it looked like he was trying to hold her there.

"Bye, Jake." She pulled his hand from her hair and kissed the palm of his hand. She didn't look at his face. "Sorry." She whispered.

Then she spun around for the car. I had flung the passengers side door open for her to get in quickly.

Bella threw her bag over the headrest and slid in, slamming the door behind her.

"Take care of Charlie!" she shouted out the window but Jacob Black was no where to be seen.

I stomped my foot on the gas and spun us around to face the road. There was a shred of white near the edge of the trees. It was a piece of shoe.


	10. The Race

Chapter Ten – The Race.

We made our flight with seconds to spare. The plane sat idle on the tarmac while the flight attendants strolled – so casually – up and down the aisle, patting the bags into the overhead compartments to make sure everything fit. The pilots leaned out of the cock pit, chatting with them as they passed. I had my hand hard on Bella's shoulder holding her in place as she was bouncing up and down in her seat, obviously anxious for the flight to get going.

"It's faster than running," I reminded her in a low voice.

Bella just nodded in time with her bouncing.

Finally the plane started moving lazily from the building down the runway.

I lifted the phone from the back of the seat in front of me before we had stopped climbing; I turned my back on the stewardess who eyed me in disapproval, something stopped her from coming over to protest.

I dialled Jasper's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Jasper, it's Alice, I'm on a plane to Florence with Bella to get Edward."

"What is he going to do?"

"I can't be sure, I keep seeing him do different things, he keeps changing his mind."

"Like what?"

"A killing spree through the city, attacking the guard, lifting a car over his head in the main square... mostly things that would expose them – he knows that's the fastest way to force a reaction."

"We'll meet you in Florence; we can help you bring him back, Alice."

"No, you can't." I made my voice as quiet as I could, but load enough that Jasper could still hear me over the phone.

"Emmett want's to go, Alice."

"Well tell Emmett no."

"He and Rosalie have just left running to get a flight,"

"Well go after Emmett and Rosalie and bring them back."

"Wouldn't it help you to have us there though, Alice?"

"Think about it, Jasper. If he sees any of us, what do you think he'll do?"

"He'll act that much quicker."

I nodded my head, "Exactly. I think Bella is our only chance – If there is a chance."

"Alice, please try your best to save him."

"I'll do everything that can be done, but prepare Carlisle; the odds aren't good."

"Drag him home if you need to Alice."

"I thought of that."

"Promise me that you will get out of there if there is nothing you can do for him, Alice please I need you to do this for me."

I laughed then, and there was a catch in my voice.

"Yes, I promise."

My voice became pleading.

"I really want to come with you, to make sure that you get out of there, Alice."

"Don't follow me. I promise, Jasper. One way or another, I'll get out."

"I love you, Alice."

"And I love you."

I Hung up the phone and leaned back in my seat with my eyes closed.

"I hate lying to him."

"Tell me everything, Alice," Bella begged. "I don't understand. Why did you tell Jasper to stop Emmett, why can't they come help us?"

"Two reasons," I whispered, with my eyes still closed. "The first I told him. We could try help Edward ourselves – if Emmett could get his hands on him, we might be able to stop him long enough to convince him you're alive. But we can't sneak up on Edward. And if he sees us coming for him, he'll act that much faster. He'll throw a Buick through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down. That's the second reason of course, the reason I couldn't say to Jasper. Because if they're there and the Volturi kill Edward, they'll fight them. Bella." I opened my eyes and stared at Bella, Beseeching. "If there were any chance we could win... if there were a way that the four of us could save my brother by fighting for him, maybe it would be different. But we can't, and, Bella, I can't lose Jasper like that."

I was begging with my eyes for her understanding, I was protecting Jasper, at our expense, and Edward's too. Bella nodded to show that she understood what I meant.

"Couldn't Edward hear you though?" Bella asked. "Wouldn't he know, as soon as he heard your thoughts, that I was alive, that there was no point to this?"

"If he were listening," I explained to her. "But believe it or not, it's possible to lie with your thoughts. If you had died, I would still try to stop him. And I would be thinking 'she's alive, she's alive' as hard as I could. He knows that."

Bella ground her teeth in mute frustration.

"If there were any way to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this,. It's very wrong of me."

"Don't be stupid. I'm the last thing you should be worrying about." Bella shock her head impatiently, "Tell me what you meant, about hating lying to Jasper."

I smiled a grim smile. "I promised him I would get out before they killed me, too. It's not something I can guarantee – not by a long shot." I raised my eyebrows to will Bella to take the danger; we were going to, more seriously.

"Who are these Volturi?" Bella demanded in a whisper, "What makes them so much more dangerous than Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and you?"

I took a deep breath and then abruptly levelled a dark glance over Bella's shoulder at the businessman, in a dark suit with a power tie and a laptop on his knees, Bella turned around to see who I was glaring at, he opened the computer and very conspicuously put headphones on.

Bella leaned closer to me; my lips were at her ears as I breathed the story.

"I was surprised that you recognised the name," I said. "That you understood so immediately what I meant – When I said he was going to Italy. I thought I would have to explain. How much did Edward tell you?"

"He just said they were an old, powerful family – like royalty. That you didn't antagonize them unless you wanted to... die," Bella whispered. She seemed to have some difficulty saying the last word.

"You have to understand," I said, my voice was slower and more measured now. "We Cullen's are unique in more ways that you know. It's... Abnormal for so many of us to live together in peace. It's the same for Tanya's family in the north, and Carlisle speculates that abstaining makes it easier for us to be civilized, to form bonds based on love rather than survival or convenience. Even James' little coven of three was unusually large – and you saw how easily Laurent left them. Our kind travel alone or in pairs, as a general rule. Carlisle's family is the biggest in existence, as far as I know, with one exception. The Volturi. There were three of them originally, Aro, Caius and Marcus."

"I've seen them," She mumbled, "In the picture in Carlisle's study."

I nodded, "Two females joined them over time, and the five of them make up the family. I'm not sure, but I suspect that their age is what gives them the ability to live peacefully together. They are well over three thousand years old. Or maybe it's their gifts that give them extra tolerance. Like Edward and I, Aro and Marcus are... talented."

"Or maybe it's just their love of power that binds them together. Royalty is an apt description."

"But if there are only five –"

"Five that make up the family," I corrected, "That doesn't include their guard."

Bella took a deep breath. "That sounds... serious."

"Oh, it is," I answered her. "There were nine members of the guard that were permanent, the last time we heard. Others are more... transitory. It changes. And many of them are gifted aswell – with formidable gifts, gifts that make what I can do like a parlor trick. The Volturi chose them for their abilities, physical or otherwise."

Bella opened her mouth and then closed it.

I nodded again; I understood exactly what she was going to ask. "They don't get too many confrontations. No one is stupid enough to mess with them. They stay in their city, leaving only as duty calls."

"Duty?" Bella wondered.

"Didn't Edward tell you what they do?" I asked her.

"No," She said, with a blank expression on her face.

I looked over Bella's head again, towards the business man, and put my cold lips to her ear once more.

"There's a reason he called them royalty... the ruling class. Over the millennia, they have assumed the position of enforcing our rules – which actually translates to punishing transgressors. They fulfil that duty decisively."

Bella's eyes popped wide with shock. "There are rules?" Bella asked in a voice that was too loud.

"Shh!"

"Shouldn't someone have mentioned this to me earlier?" Bella whispered angrily. "I mean I wanted to be a... to be one of you! Shouldn't someone have explained the rules to me?"

I chuckled at her reaction. "It's not that complicated, Bella. There's only one core restriction – and if you think about it, you can probably figure it out yourself."

She thought about it, "Nope, I have no idea."

I shock my head, disappointed. "Maybe it's too obvious. We just have to keep our existence a secret."

"Oh," was all she mumbled.

"It makes sense, and most of us don't need policing, But after a few centuries, sometimes one of us get bored. Or crazy. I don't know. And then the Volturi step in before it can compromise them, or the rest of us."

"So Edward..."

"Is planning to flaunt that in their own city – the city they've secretly held for three thousand years, since the time of the Etruscans. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow hunting within its walls. Volterra is probably the safest city in the world – from vampire attack at the very least."

"But you said they didn't leave. How do they eat?"

"They don't leave. They bring their food in from the outside, from quite far away sometimes. It gives their guard something to do when they're not out annihilating mavericks. Or protecting Volterra from exposure..."

"From situations like this one, like Edward," Bella finished my sentence."I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this," I muttered, disgusted. "You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires."

The sound that left Bella's mouth when I said that was an obvious cry of pain, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet."

"Not yet. And the Volturi will get us if we mess up."

I stiffened, "You say it like it's a good thing."

Bella shrugged.

WHAT THE HELL DOES SHE MEAN? DOES SHE REALLY MEAN THAT?

"Knock it off, Bella, or we're turning around in New York and going back to Forks."

"What?"

"You know what. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?"

"Sure, Alice."

I pulled back slightly so that I could glare at her,

"No trouble."

"Scouts honour." Bella muttered.

I rolled my eyes.

"Let me concentrate, now. I'm trying to see what he's planning."

I left my arm around her, but let my head fall back against the seat and closed my eyes. I pressed my free hand to the side of my face, rubbing my fingertips against my temple.

All I could see was Edward getting closer and closer to Volterra and thinking about how he could ask for his death.

After a while Bella touched my arm.

"Alice, Alice, we have to go."

I opened my eyes slowly. I shook my head from side to side for a moment, why was I not seeing more than this?

"Anything new?" Bella asked in a low voice, she seemed to be conscious of the man behind her who had been listening to most of our conversation on this flight.

"Not exactly," I breathed in a voice that would be barely audible to Bella. "He's getting closer. He's deciding how he's going to ask."

We had to run for our connection to Florence, it was better than waiting around the sooner we got to Volterra the sooner we could save Edward.

I was still trying to see what Edward would do next, I looked over to Bella, who had been quiet for some time now, she had fallen asleep.

I closed my eyes and tried looking again, this time I seen something.

"Bella," I hissed a little too loud for the cabin which was full of sleeping humans including Bella.

Bella opened her eyes she seemed a little disoriented.

"What's wrong?"

"It's not wrong," I smiled fiercely at her, "Its right. They're deliberating, but they've decided to tell him no."

"The Volturi?" she muttered, groggily.

"Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what they're going to say."

"Tell me." She begged.

An attendant walked up to us, "Can I get you ladies a pillow?" he asked in a hushed whisper.

"No, thank you." I beamed up at him.

The attendants expression was dazed as he turned and stumbled his way back down the aisle.

"Tell me." Bella breathed.

I whispered in her ear, "They're interested in him – they think his talent could be useful. They're going to offer him a place with them."

"What will he say?"

"I can't see that yet, but I'll bet it's colourful." I grinned again, "This is the first good news – the first break. They're intrigued; they truly don't want to destroy him – 'wasteful,' that's the word Aro will use – and that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on plans, the better for us."

"Alice?"

"What?"

"I'm confused. How are you seeing this so clearly? And then other times, you see things far away – things that don't happen?"

My eyes tightened, I knew what she was thinking about, the vision of her being a vampire, along side the rest of us Cullen's.

"It's clear because it's immediate and close, and I'm really concentrating. The faraway things come on their own – those are glimpses, faint maybes. Plus, I see my kind more easily than yours. Edward is even easier because I'm attuned to him."

"You see me sometimes,"

I shook my head. "Not as clearly."

Bella sighed. "I really wish you could have been right about me. In the beginning, when you first saw things about me, before we even met..."

"What do you mean?" I asked slightly confused.

"You saw me become one of you." She barely mouthed the words.

I sighed. "It was a possibility at the time."

"At the time," she repeated.

"Actually, Bella..." I hesitated. "Honestly, I think it's all gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating on whether to just change you myself."

Bella just stared at me, frozen in place. Instantly I regretted what I had said.

"Did I scare you? I thought that's what you wanted."

"I do!" she gasped a little loud. "Oh, Alice, do it now! I could help you so much – and I wouldn't slow you down. Bite me!" she practically screamed.

"Shh!" I cautioned her, the attendant was looking our way again. "Try to be reasonable," I whispered. "We don't have enough time. We have to get to Volterra tomorrow. You'd be in writhing pain for day." I made a face at her. "And I don't think the other passengers would react to well."

Bella bit her lip. " If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind."

"No." I frowned at her, not very happy by what she had said. "I don't think I will. He'd be furious, but what will he be able to do about it?"

Bella's heart beat faster. "Nothing at all."

I laughed quietly then sighed. "You have too much faith in me, Bella. I'm not sure that I can. I'll probably just end up killing you."

"I'll take my chances." What was she serious about that?

"You are so bizarre, even for a human."

"Thanks."

"Oh well, it's purely hypothetical at this point, anyway. First we have to live through tomorrow."

"Good point."

"Go back to sleep, I'll wake you up when there's something new."

"Right." She mumbled.

I pulled my legs up in the seat, wrapping my arms around them and leaning my forehead against my knees, I rocked back and forth as I concentrated.

Bella rested her head against the head rest and had shortly fallen back to sleep.

I concentrated on trying to see more, all I could still see was them telling him no and how he reacted, he had a few idea's to force their hand.

The sun started to rise and I snapped the window shade closed.

"What's happening?" Bella mumbled, I hadn't realised I'd woken her.

"They've told him no," I said quietly, all my enthusiasm from earlier gone.

Bella's voice chocked. "What's he going to do?"

"It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flicker, he was changing plans so quickly."

"What kinds of plans?"

"There was a bad hour; He'd decided to go hunting." I whispered.

I looked at Bella and seen the incomprehension on her face.

"In the city," I explained. "It got very close. He changed his mind at the last minute."

"He probably wouldn't want to disappoint Carlisle." Bella mumbled.

"Probably." I agreed with her.

"Will there be enough time?" As Bella asked this I could feel the pressure shift in the cabin, the plane was coming in to land.

"I'm hoping so – if he sticks to his latest decision, maybe."

"What is that?"

"He's just going to keep it simple. He's just going to walk out into the sun."

Bella looked through the window at the slight grey glow that shone through. "We'll be too late," She whispered.

I shook my head, "Right now, he's leaning toward the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. He'll wait till the sun is exactly over head."

"So we have till noon?"

"If we're lucky. If he sticks with this decision."

The pilot came over the intercom, announcing, first in French then in English our imminent landing. The seat belt lights dinged and flashed.

"How far is it from Florence to Volterra?"

"That depends on how fast you drive... Bella?"

"Yes?"

I eyed her speculatively, "How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?"

I hit the brakes on the Bright yellow Porsche and it screamed to a stop a few feet in front of where Bella paced.

"Hurry, Bella!" I shouted impatiently through the open passenger's side window.

Bella ran to the door and threw her self in.

"Sheesh, Alice." She complained. "Could you pick a more conspicuous car to steal?"

"The important question is whether I could have stolen a faster car, and I don't think so. I got lucky."

"I'm sure that will be very comforting at the road block."

I trilled a laugh, "Trust me, Bella. If anyone sets up a road block, it will be behind us." To prove my point a hit the gas.

"Do you see anything more?"

"There's something going on, some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags. What's the date today?"

"The nineteenth, maybe?"

"Well, that's ironic. It's Saint Marcus Day."

"Which means?"

I chuckled, "The city holds a celebration every year. As the legend goes, a Christian missionary, a Father Marcus – Marcus of the Volturi, in fact – drove all the vampires from Volterra fifteen hundred years ago. The story claims he was martyred in Romania, still trying to drive away the vampire scourge. Of course that's nonsense – He's never left the city. But that's where some of the superstitions about things like crosses and garlic come from. Father Marcus used them so successfully. And vampires don't trouble Volterra, so they must work. It's become more of a celebration of the city, and recognition for the police force – after all, Volterra is an amazingly safe city. The police get the credit."

"They're not going to be happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?"

I shook my head, "No. They'll act very quickly."

Bella looked away.

"He's still planning on noon?" She checked.

"Yes. He's decided to wait. And they're waiting for him."

"Tell me what I have to do."

"You don't have to do anything. He just has to see you before he moves into the light. And he has to see you before he sees me."

"How are we going to work that?"

"I'm going to get you as close as possible, and then you're going to run in the direction I point you."

Bella nodded.

"Try not to trip; we don't have time for a concussion today."

We continued driving the road we were on and that's when I seen it.

"There," I said pointing to the castle city atop the hill.

"Volterra." I announced in a flat, icy voice.


	11. Volterra

Chapter Eleven – Volterra

We began the steep climb and the road grew congested. As we wound higher, the cars became too close for me to weave between them any more.

"Alice." Bella moaned.

"It's the only way in." I told her, I could hear the strain in my voice; it would be noticeable to any one.

The cars continued to edge forward one car length at a time. The sun was beaming down brilliantly, it seemed to be already over head.

As we got closer, I could see the car parked by the side of the road, with people getting out to walk the rest of the way.

We came around the switch back, and I could see the filled car park and crowds of people walking through the gates. No one was being allowed to drive into the city.

"Alice," Bella whispered urgently.

"I know." I needed a plan if I was going to get Bella into the city to save Edward.

I tried to find what the guard would decide when we pulled up, but it was no good I couldn't see his answer.

"Bella, I can't see what the guard here will decide now – if this doesn't work, you're going to have to go in alone. You're going to have to run. Just keep asking for the Palazzo Dei Priori, and running in the direction they tell you. Don't get lost.

"Palazzo Dei Priori, Palazzo Dei Priori." Bella kept repeating to herself.

"Or the clock tower if they speak English. I'll go around and try to find a secluded spot somewhere behind the city where I can go over the wall."

Bella nodded to me. "Palazzo Dei Priori." She repeated again.

"Edward will be under the clock tower, to the north of the square. There's a narrow alley way on the right, and he'll be in the shadow there, you need to get his attention before he can move into the sun."

Bella nodded furiously.

I was near the front of the line. A man in a navy blue uniform was directing the flow of traffic, turning the cars away from the full lot. They made a U turn and headed back to find a place by the side of the road.

Then it was our turn. The uniformed man motioned lazily, not paying attention, I decided to take advantage of this and hit the accelerator. I edged around the man and headed for the gate.

The man at the gate wore a matching uniform. As we approached him, the throngs of tourists passed staring curiously at the Porsche.

The guard stepped into the middle of the street. I angled the car perfectly so that I was in the shade and the sun reflected of Bella's side of the car, I reached behind the seat and grabbed a pair of tan gloves from my bag and put them on quickly.

The guard came around my side of the car, with an irritated expression, and tapped on my window angrily, I wish Jasper was here to use his calming effect on him.

I rolled the window down halfway, the guard had to do a double take when he saw my face, my beauty, Not that I played on it as much as Rose would have but it comes in handy in times like this.

"I'm sorry, only buses allowed in the city today, miss." He said in English, he had a very strong accent. He seemed apologetic.

"It's a private tour." I replied, while flashing him an alluring smile. I reached my hand out of the window and took his hand, I pulled his hand into the car and placed a roll of thousand dollar bills into it.

"Is this a joke?" he mumbled.

I smiled at him again, "Only if you think it's funny." He looked at me, wide eyed.

"I'm in a wee bit of a hurry," I hinted, still smiling. He blinked twice and then pushed his hand into his vest to hide the money. He took a step away from the window and waved us on. No one had noticed our quiet exchange but Bella. I drove into the city, and we both sighed in relief.

"Just a little further." I encouraged Bella, she was gripping the door handle, ready to jump out when I told her to.

I drove in quick spurts and sudden stops, the people in the crowd shook they're fists at us and shouted angry words at us, I couldn't concentrate enough to translate it.

I turned the car into a little path that wasn't meant for cars. I stopped the car and Bella had the door open before the car was at a stand still.

I pointed to where the street widened into a patch of bright openness. "there at the southern end of the square, run straight across, to the right of the clock tower, I'll find a way around."

My breath caught "They're everywhere." I spoke in a hiss.

Bella froze in place, I pushed her out of the car. "Forget about them, you have two minutes. Go, Bella! Go!" I shouted to her as I climbed out of the car.

I walked into the shadows with our bags I needed to find a place to hide these before I find away to Bella and Edward.

I walked through the back alleys until I got to the wall I jumped up and dropped our bags pver, making sure no one seen me, and dropped back to the ground.

I made my way back to the square, remembering to stay out of the sun light.

I could hear Bella screaming Edwards name as she ran through the square to him, she must have found him and was trying to get his attention.

I made my way around the back alleys to where Edward would be, when I got where they were Edward has his back to Bella, he had her held up against the wall and he had no shirt on, then I noticed to others stood with them.

'Edward' I thought, his head whipped around towards me. The two others who were with him did the same when I stepped towards them, hearing my movement towards them.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we? I suggested aloud for the two other vampires, "There are ladies present."

I skipped lightly towards Edward's side, my stance casual. The two new vampires didn't seem too happy about my arrival.

"We're not alone." I reminded them.

One of the other vampires looked over his shoulder, a few yards into the square where there was a family stood. The man walked forward a few steps and tapped another on the shoulder.

"Please, Edward, let's be reasonable." The larger of the two new vampires asked.

"Lets," Edward agreed, "And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser."

He sighed in frustration, "At least let us discuss this more privately."

Six men had now joined the family as they watched us from the square.

Edward's teeth came together, "No."

The other one smiled.

"Enough," The voice was high ready and came from behind us.

I turned to see who it was and there stood a short girl about 15 or 16 years old before she was changed. Edward dropped his arms and relaxed his stance.

"Jane," He sighed in recognition and resignation.

I folded my arms across my chest.

"Follow me." Jane spoke again; she turned to walk down the alley.

The shorter of the two new male vampires gestured to go first.

I followed after her at once. Edward and Bella slowly behind then the two male vampires.

"Well Alice, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here." Edward said as we walked.

"It was my mistake," I answered him in the same tone that he had used, "It was my job to set it straight." 'Even if it was Rose that phoned you, stupid Rose.' I added in my mind.

"What happened?" He asked his voice was polite.

"It's a long story." My eye's flickered to Bella and back, 'She's been a wreck Edward,' "In summary she did jump off a cliff but she wasn't trying to kill herself, Bella's all about extreme sports these days." 'And she's been hanging around with werewolves, one of them is her new best friend Jacob black, and I think he has feelings, she's been spending all her time with them since she left, our leaving did her no good Edward, Charlie is very worried about her, an he isn't very happy with you. She needs us all to be back in Forks Edward, she needs us.' I thought about how Bella was when I first returned to forks, how she didn't want me to leave her again, and how she got better over the days I was there, even if it was only two days.

"Hm," was all that Edward said, He was not happy about what I'd just told and shown him in my thoughts.

There was a loose curve in the alley, it was still slanting downwards. Jane was no longer walking in front of me, I looked down and noticed that she had dropped down the drain in the floor of the alley way.

I didn't hesitate, didn't brake pace as I walked towards the drain and slid down it.

"It's alright, Bella." I heard Edward comfort her.

'I'll catch her, Edward, just get her down here.' I thought to him.

"Alice will catch you."

Bella sat down on the edge of the drain, swinging her legs into the narrow gap.

"Alice?" She whispered, her voice trembling.

"I'm right here, Bella." I reassured her.

"Ready?" Edward asked, whether to Bella or I, I don't know.

"Drop her." I called up to him.

Bella slid forward and Edward held onto her wrists, Edward released Bella's wrists and she dropped straight into my waiting arms, she would have bruises from that.

'Hurry Edward, I don't like being down here on my own with this Jane girl.'

The light from the street disappeared as Edward appeared next he took Bella from my arms and put his arm around her; we walked in silence behind Jane through the tunnel.

The only sounds were Bella's frantic heartbeat, whether from being back with Edward or because we were walking towards our death, They would most defiantly kill Bella as she knows to much and nether Edward nor I would let that happen with out a fight, and the sound of Bella's staggering footsteps.

Edward held Bella close to his side; every now and again I could see him press his face into her hair.

The path beneath us continued to slant downwards, taking us deeper beneath the city streets.

Bella was shaking, must be from the cold of the underground tunnel and her clothes were wet. How were her clothes wet?

Edward must have noticed this the same time as I, as his arm dropped from around Bella only to keep hold of her hand.

"N-n-no." She chattered whilst throwing her arms around him.

He put his arm back around her and started to rub her arm, trying to warm her with friction.

We hurried through the tunnel, Bella's slow progress irritated Felix, he give out a loud sigh every now and again, I wondered what his thought's were like?

At the end of the tunnel was a grate it has iron bars that were rusting and as thick as an arm, there was a small door made of thinner, interlaced bars which was standing open.

Edward ducked through the door and hurried into a larger, brighter stone room.

The grate slammed shut, with a clang and the snap of a lock behind us.

On the other side of the room was a low heavy wooden door. It was stood open and you could see that it was very thick.

We stopped through the door, and I looked over to Edward and Bella.

Bella was looking around her to take in her surroundings, she relaxed automatically, but Edward was stood next to her tense and his jaw clenched tight.


	12. Verdict

Chapter Twelve – Verdict

We were now stood in a brightly lit hallway. The walls were an off white colour; the carpet on the floor was gray. Rectangular fluorescent lights were spaced along the ceiling. It was a few degrees warmer in this hallway than it had been in the tunnel.

Edward still hadn't relaxed; he just stared towards the end of the hallway where there was an elevator.

Edward started to walk towards the elevator, pulling Bella along beside him, I walked along Bella's other side. The door we had just walked through creaked shut behind us and then the sound of a bolt being pushed closed.

Jane was waiting by the elevator, her hand holding the doors open for us.

Once inside, Jane, Felix and Demetri relaxed further, they threw back their cloaks, letting their hoods fall back on their shoulders.

Felix and Demetri both had a slightly olive complexion; Felix had short cropped black hair, while Demetri's waved to his shoulders. Their irises were a deep crimson around the edges, darkening to black around the pupil. Under their cloaks they wore normal modern clothes.

Bella was cowered in the corner, cringing against Edward. His hand still rubbing against her arm, keeping her warm. He never took his eyes from Jane.

The elevator ride was short, we stepped out into a posh office area. The walls were panelled wood , Think, deep Green carpet on the floor. Beautiful bright pictures of the Tuscan countryside hung in place of windows, there were plush leather couches arranged in cozy groups, Beautiful crystal vases that held multicoloured flowers, stood on glossy tables.

In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter.

Behind it stood a beautiful human woman, she greeted Jane as we walked past the desk.

"Gianna," Jane replied in disinterested voice.

I heard Gianna giggle when Felix walked past her desk.

We walked through a set of thick oak doors where a boy stood waiting, he looked like Jane, maybe this is her twin Carlisle told us about he said Jane had a twin brother his name was Alec.

"Jane." He greeted her.

"Alec," she responded, she moved closer to him to embrace him, After a brief second Alec turned his attention towards Edward, Bella and Myself.

"They send you out for one, and you come back with two... and a half." Alec praised his sister. "Nice work."

Jane laughed, she must love his attention.

"Welcome back, Edward. You seem in a better mood." Alec turned towards my brother.

"Marginally." Edward replied in a dull voice, he must not be happy about having Bella down her with all these non vegetarian vampires.

Alec chuckled at Edwards response, and then looked at Bella who was still clinging to Edward.

"And this is the cause of all the trouble?" he asked.

Edward forced a smile onto his face, I could see his teeth shut tightly.

"Dibs." Felix called behind us.

Edward turned and let out a ferocious snarl.

I put my hand on his arm, "Patience," Edward, think of Bella and how this could turn out if you attack.

This relaxed him he would never intentionally hurt Bella, or allow another vampire to do so.

"Aro will be pleased to see you again." Alec spoke to Edward.

"Lets not keep him waiting." Jane Said.

Edward nodded and Jane and Alec continued forward holding hands, we started towards a new set of doors.

We walked through the doors into a very beautiful elegant room, it looked like some kind of dinning room.

Bella's eyes wandered the room just as mine had, she looked amazed as she took in the room around her until her eyes landed on one vampire, I remembered this man from a painting in Carlisle's study in the house in Forks, this vampire in particular was Aro, I remember Carlisle telling Jasper and I about the time he spent with this vampire coven and how they kept the peace in the vampire world, how they saw and wanted others to see them selves as the royal family of the vampire world.

Edward had also noticed Bella's eyes land on Aro, he seemed rather tense with having her so close.

"Jane dear one, you've returned." He was very enthusiastic towards her.

"Yes, master. I brought him back alive just as you wished." Jane replied towards her master.

"Ah, Jane. You are such a comfort to me." His Enthusiasm turned to excitement when he turned toward Edward and found Bella and I stood next to him.

"And Alice and Bella, too!" he clapped his hands, "this is a surprise! Wonderful! Felix, be a dear and tell my brothers about our company. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this."

"Yes, master." Felix replied before he swiftly disappeared out of the doors that we had just entered through.

"You see, Edward? What did I tell you? Aren't you glad I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?" Aro asked Edward, I'm sure I seen him squrm at the memory.

"Yes, Aro, I am." Edward Agreed.

Edward tightened his hold on Bella, obviously to ensure she was still safe from harm. It was obvious that he had missed her as much as she had missed him over the last few months, this had hurt them both so dearly, they we're both in pain, and now had the love of they're lives back, I don't know how I would survive if I ever lose Jasper, what I would do with myself if he never turned up that day or if he had not accepted me that day in the cafe many years ago.

Bella is Edwards life, there is no way that he will leave her now, no way he will be able to see her hurt or feel that hurt himself ever again, he needs her in his life, Bella is his life.

Bella is his soul.

"I love a happy ending." Aro sighed, "They are so rare. But I want the whole story. How did this happen? Alice?" Aro's eye's moved to rest on my face, "Your brother seems to think for infallible but apparently there was some mistake." I seen his eyes flicker to Bella and back before she would even register he was looking at her.

"Oh, I'm far from infallible." Edward what have you told him about me? I asked my brother silently, my fists balled up into fist how much did this clan know about me? "As you can see," I continued, "I cause problems as often as I cure them."

"You are too modest, I've seen some of your more amazing exploits and I must admit, I've never seen anything like you're talent. Wonderful!" His eyes flashed to Edwards face and then back to my own, I didn't need Edward's mind reading to know that he was thinking about having us in his guard.

Edward? My eyes flickered to my brother for a split second, How does he know so much about me? Why is he acting like he has known me for years rather than minutes? What did you tell him? I don't like him knowing so much.

The words raced around in my head, I didn't like him knowing so much about me and me not knowing anything about him, why had Edward told him so much?

Aro must have seen my glance towards Edward and understood that we were having a silent conversation.

"I'm sorry; we haven't been introduced properly at all, have we? It's just that I feel like I know you already, and I tend to get ahead of myself. Your brother introduced us yesterday, in a peculiar way. You see I share some of your brother's talent, only I am limited in a way he is not." Aro explained himself to me.

"And also exponentially more powerful." Edward added.

Can he read minds too? Can he hear me now? I asked Edward silently.

I was still very confused by all of this and that didn't happen often, with my seeing the future and all.

"Aro needs physical contact to hear your thoughts, but he hears much more than I do. You know I can only hear what's passing through your mind in the moment. Aro hears every thought you ever had." Edward explained to me.

So he can't hear me now?

Edward shook his head, no, in response.

Aro must have noticed this as he added, "But to hear from a distance..." he paused, let out a sigh and then gestured to Edward and I, "That would me so convenient."

I heard the door behind us open Edward and I turned towards the door where three vampires had now entered, Felix was back with two others they must be Aro's brother's, Caius and Marcus.

One of the brother's gaze's was instantly drawn to Edwards arm that was still clutched tightly around Bella.

His eye's then flickered from Edward to myself, then from myself to Bella.

"Marcus, Caius, look! Bella is alive after all, and Alice is here with her! Isn't it wonderful? Aro crooned.

Neither responded.

"Let us have the story."

The brother floated to Aro to inform him of his thoughts. At the small brief contact, Aro raised his eyebrows.

"Thank you, Marcus. That's quite interesting." Aro said shaking his head trying to comprehend. "Amazing. Absolutely amazing."

What? I asked very confused.

"Marcus sees relationships. He is surprised by the intensity of ours." Edward explained to Bella and I

"So convenient." Aro said, "It takes quite a lot to surprise Marcus, I can assure you." Aro focused on the arm Edward still had wrapped around Bella's waist.

"It's just so difficult to understand even now. How can you stand so close to her like that?" Aro pondered.

"It's not without effort."

"But still- la tua cantante! What a waste!"

Edward chuckled.

"I look at it more as a price."

"A very high price." Aro said hesitantly.

"Opportunity cost."

"If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong. I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…."

"Waste it." Edward interjected sarcastically.

Aro laughed.

"Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him, only he was not so angry."

"Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well." Edward replied.

"I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame," he said.

"Hardly," Edward said intolerantly.

"I am gratified by his success. Your memories of him are quite a gift for me, though they astonish me exceedingly. I am surprised by how it pleases me, his success in his unorthodox path he's chosen. I expected that he would waste, weaken with time. I'd scoffed at his plan to find others who would share his peculiar vision. Yet, somehow, I am happy to be wrong."

Edward did not reply.

"But your restraint! I did not know such strength was possible. To inure yourself against such a siren call, not just once but again and again. If had not felt it myself, I wouldn't have believed."

"Just remembering how much she appeals to you…It makes me thirsty," he chortled.

Edward froze up with tension.

Aro noticed his apprehension.

"Don't be disturbed." He said reassuringly.

"I mean her no harm. But I am curious, about one thing in particular. May I?" he asked gazing at Bella intently.

"Ask her." Edward stated.

"Of course, how rude of me! Bella, I am fascinated that you are the one exception to Edward's impassive talent. So very interesting that such a thing should occur! And I was wondering, since our talents are similar in many ways, if you would be so kind as to allow me to try, to see if you are an exception for me, as well."

Bella's eyes flashed to Edward's face they were full terror.

Edward nodded in encouragement.

Bella raised her hand to Aro's.

Edward sighed in relief, it must not have worked.

"A first. I wonder if she is immune to our other talents…Jane, dear?"

"No!" I snarled furiously.

I grabbed his arm, but he shook me off.

"Yes, master?" Jane smiled at Aro.

"Jane, I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune to you."

Edward was furious.

His ferocious growls echoed around the room.

Jane turned to look at Bella with a devilishly expression.

I sprang forward toward her, to ambush her attack on my Bella.

"Don't!" I cried.

Midway through the air Edward was jolted, and fell instantly to the stone floor.

"Stop!" I heard Bella shrieked beside me, as she went to put herself between Edward and Jane, I threw my arms around her shoulders to keep her from the harm of Jane's gift.

"Jane," Aro called to her, Jane looked up towards her master, still smiling over the pleasure she had received from hurting my brother, as soon as she looked away from Edward I knew he would be fine, she had lost concentration by looking at her master thus Edward no longer receive the pain of her gift.

Aro inclined his head towards myself and Bella, Jane turned towards us, a disturbing smile on her face, if I was human I would be petrified of what she might do.

Bella was still struggling in my arms.

"He's fine," I whispered in her ear, as I spoke these words Edward sat up as though to prove my statement to Bella, he suddenly sprung to his feet, his eyes turned to Bella, he looked horror struck, he then looked at Jane and back to Bella his face relaxed.

Only then had I noticed that Bella had not faltered in my arms, she was not thrashing in pain, she was perfectly fine, Jane could not harm her in the same way she had Edward, Jane's gift did not work on Bella the same as Edward's and Aro's before her.

I looked towards Jane, she did not look very happy that Bella was not hurt, she seemed to be concentrating very hard but was getting no where.

Edward was suddenly by our side. He touched my arm, and I let go of her and left her for Edwards arm to hold.

I knew how much this must be killing him inside, he has spent months away from her dying inside, and now when he has her back in his arms he is in the palace, of none other than the royalty of our kind the Volturi, who would most defiantly want to kill Bella, she was after all a human who knew entirely too much about our kind and who was in a relationship with one of our kind.

I was pulled from my thought's by Aro's laugh, "Ha, ha, ha, This is wonderful!"

Jane hissed, in what I must only assume is frustration or irritation or possibly both.

"Don't be put out, dear one," Aro added in a comforting tone, he placed one of his hands on Jane's shoulder, "She confounds us all."

Jane's upper lip curled up, barring her sharp venomous teeth, she looked like she might lunge at Bella's throat at any moment I hope Edward see's it in her mind before she acts, as he had with Jasper all those months ago, I shiver at the thought of what happened back at Bella's 18th birthday, Jasper has still not been able to forgive himself for nearly killing the love of his brother's life or my best friend, he still hates himself for it and he feels like Edward hates him for it.

It wouldn't surprise me if he takes the blame for what has happened over the last few days, as he nearly attacked Bella, making us leave, making Bella and Edward both depressed, leading Bella into Jacob's waiting arms, only for her to jump off the cliff leading to me thinking she'd died and Rose phoning Edward and telling him, thus us ending up in Volterra saving him.

Again I was pulled from my thought's by Aro laughing, "Ha, ha, ha, you're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once – just out of curiosity."

"So, what do we do with you now?" Aro sighed.

Edward and I stiffened, this is the part of the meeting we'd not been looking forward to most, I could see Bella begin to tremble.

"I don't suppose there's any chance that you've changed your mind?" Aro asked Edward hopefully. "Your talent would be an excellent addition to our little company."

"I'd... rather... not." Edward spoke after a slight hesitation.

"Alice?" Aro asked, "Would you perhaps be interested in joining with us?"

"No, thank you," I spoke strongly.

"And you, Bella?" What? I could see Edward tense as he hissed at the leader of the Volturi.

"What?" Caius was the first to break the unspoken silence.

"Caius, surely you can see the potential, I haven't seen prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us?"

I could her the rumble of a growl grow in Edward's chest this was a very sore subject, Bella becoming a vampire, never mind a Volturi vampire.

"No, thank you." Bella spoke, her voice breaking.

Aro sighed, "That's unfortunate. Such a waste."

Edward hissed "Join or die, is that it? I suspected as much when we were brought to this room. So much for you're laws."

"Of course not." Aro was quite astonished with Edward's out burst. "We were already convened here, Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you."

"Aro, the law clams them." Caius hissed at his brother.

"How so?" Edward demanded.

Caius pointed his finger at Bella, "She knows too much. You have exposed our secrets." He didn't sound very happy.

There are a few humans in on your charade here, as well," Edward pointed out to.

Caius's face twisted into a new expression, some kind of smile, "Yes, But when they are no longer useful to us, they will serve to sustain us. That is not your plan for this one. If she betrays our secrets, are you prepared to destroy her? I think not," He scoffed.

"I wouldn't –," Bella started, but Caius silenced her mid sentence with an icy look.

"Nor do you intend to make her one of us, therefore, she is a vulnerability. Though it is true, for this only her life is forfeit. You may leave if you wish."

Edward bared his teeth.

I wish I hadn't told Rosalie about this now that way Edward wouldn't have found out about Bella and we wouldn't be here now begging for our lives.

"That's what I thought." Caius with a slight hint of pleasure in his tone, Felix leaned forward eagerly.

"Unless..." Aro interrupted. He didn't look to happy with the turn in conversation. "Unless you do intend to give her immortality?"

Edward hesitated again, What is it about turning Bella into one of us you dislike Edward? She is you're mate you love her, Please do this. "And if I do?"

Aro smiled this made him happy, "Why, then you would be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle," His expression became more hesitant. "But I'm afraid you would have to mean it."

Aro raised his hand in front of him towards Edward.

Caius had now relaxed the scowl that had been on his face.

Edward's lips tightened into a line. He stared at Bella and then back to Aro.

"Mean it, please." I heard Bella beg in a whisper.

Edward stared at her again this time with a tortured expression.

I had to do this I needed to get us out of here, I would show him all my visions they would convince him enough for us to leave here now happily to return to our family.

I stepped forward towards Aro's waiting hand, I raised my hand and placed it in his.

Bella was walking towards Edward, her beautiful brown eyes were no more, her eyes were now crimson, she had been turned.

We were hunting, Bella along with the rest of our family, her eyes were turning they were getting lighter they were turning gold

Bella was walking down the street arm in arm with myself, we were shopping, Bella's eyes were now fully golden.

Bella was being teased by Emmett, not unusual only now Bella had challenged him to an arm wrestling match, which she won.

I heard Edward's teeth snap together as I showed him Bella's future.

"Ha, ha, ha. That was fascinating!"

I smiled dryly at him "I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"To see the things you've seen – especially the ones that haven't yet!" He shook his head in wonder.

"But, that will," I ensured him, keeping my voice steady.

"Yes, yes, it's quite determined. Certainly there is no problem."

Caius didn't look to happy that Aro was about to let the human who knew to much leave still human, or still alive for that matter.

"Aro," Caius complained, Marcus still looked as bored as he had when he'd first entered the room.

"Dear Caius, do not fret, Think of the possibilities! They do not join us today, but we can always hope for the future. Imagine the joy young Alice alone would bring to our little household... Besides, I'm so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!"

I would never leave my family in aid of this vampire coven, they are the kind of vampire the tales come from the ones who live on human blood they kill for they're satisfaction, I nor my family would lower our selves to that, we are animal blood drinkers and that is how we will stay.

"Then we are free to go now?" Edward asked impatient to get Bella away from them.

"Yes, yes, but please visit again. It's been absolutely enthralling!"

"And we will visit you as well," Caius promised, "To be sure that you follow through on your side. Were I you, I would not delay too long. We do not offer second chances."

Edward clenched his jaw tight, but nodded.

Felix groaned behind us.

"Ah, Felix, Heidi will be here at any moment. Patience."

"Hmm, in that case, perhaps we'd better go sooner rather than late." Edward added.

"Yes, That's a god idea. Accidents do happen. Please wait below until after dark, though, if you don't mind."

"Of course," Edward agreed.

"And here," Aro added, calling Felix forward, he removed the cloak from Felix's shoulders and offered it to Edward, "Take this. You're a little conspicuous."

Edward took the long cloak from Aro's hands and put it around his own shoulders, leaving the hood down.

"It suits you." Aro sighed.

Edward chuckled, but it broke when we heard a group of people coming down the passage, he looked over his shoulder.

"Thank you, Aro. We'll wait below."

"Goodbye, young friends," Aro said as he also looked over Edward's shoulder to where his meal was now coming.

"Let's go," Edward said, quite urgently.

Demetri set off the way we'd come, we followed after him.

Edward pulled Bella along beside him swiftly. I followed close to her other side.

"Not fast enough," I muttered to Edward, we needed to move faster if we were going to get Bella far enough away before they started feeding.

Bella stared up at me I could tell from her face that she was quite frightened.

"Well this is unusual," A mans voice boomed through the corridor.

"So medieval," A woman added.

The large crowd, that would become the Volturi's meal as soon as they entered the room we'd just left, made they're way down the corridor we were leaving through, oh what Bella must think of our kind at this moment I can't imagine what she must be thinking right now.

Edward pulled Bella's face into his chest.

As soon as there was a small opening from the crowd Edward pushed Bella quickly towards the door.

There was a new vampire stood there.

"Welcome home, Heidi," Demetri greeted her from behind us.

"Demetri," she replied.

"Nice fishing," he complimented her.

"Thanks," She started to walk forward then paused when Demetri didn't follow, "Aren't you coming?"

"In a minute. Save a few for me."

Heidi nodded and walked trough the door not before she give one last curious glance at Bella.

Edward continued forward, poor Bella was running to keep up with the pace he was pulling her at, but we still didn't make it through the doors before the screaming of the group started.


	13. The flight

Chapter Thirteen – The flight

Demetri left us in the reception, before he departed, he warned us, "Do not leave until dark."

Edward nodded and Demetri hurried back where we had come from.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked Bella in a tone low enough that Gianna the receptionist wouldn't be able to hear from where she was sat at her desk.

"You'd better make her sit before she falls," I told Edward, who was holding a rather shaky Bella in his arms, "She's going to pieces." I added.

I huge sob erupted from Bella's chest.

"Shh, Bella, Shh," Edward soothed her, as he pulled her towards one of the large sofa's.

"I think she's having hysterics. Maybe you should slap her," I suggested.

Edward threw me a frantic glance.

"It's alright, you're safe, it's alright." Edward chanted in her ear.

Edward pulled her into his lap and cradled her, wrapping the cloak around her to keep the chill of his skin from affecting her.

"All those people," She sobbed at him.

"I know," He whispered.

"It's so horrible."

"Yes, it is. I wish you hadn't had to see that."

I watched on as Bella rest her head on Edward's chest; she used the cloak to dry her eyes and took a few deep breaths, poor Bella she must be exhausted she's been up for nearly 2 whole days.

I could hear Gianna's footsteps coming closer.

"Is there anything I can get you?" she asked when she got close enough, I assumed she was just coming to check on Bella, probably the only human Gianna has seen leave a meeting with the Volturi alive.

"No."Edward answered coldly.

Edward, she's only curious there is no need to be so mean to her.

Gianna nodded smiled at Bella and then walked away.

"Does she know what's going on here?" Bella demanded in a very hoarse voice.

"Yes." Edward admitted, "She knows everything."

"Does she know they're going to kill her someday?"

"She knows it's a possibility, she's hoping they'll decide to keep her."

"She wants to be one of them?" Bella asked.

Edward nodded, His eyes never leaving her face.

Bella shuddered, "How can she want that?" Bella whispered, "How can she watch those people file into through to that hideous room and want to be part of that?"

I watched as Edwards face twisted at what Bella had just said.

I knew what he was thinking, that we were that, we were what those vampires were, we'd always thought that Bella had wanted to be part of our family, I guess the time away has changed her mind, although she did beg Edward to mean turning her when he was asked by Aro, or was that just so she'd get out of there alive?

"Oh, Edward." I heard Bella cry, she started sobbing again,

"What's wrong?" he asked, he was still rubbing her back.

Bella wrapped her arms around his neck, she still wants him, I smile to myself.

"Is it really sick for me to be happy right now?" Bella asked her voice broke twice.

Edward pulled Bella tighter, and whispered, "I know exactly what you mean, but we have lots of reasons reasons to be happy. For one, we're alive."

"Yes, that's a good one," there was a slight sour edge to her voice, I guess that's not the most important to Bella.

"And together," Edward added.

Bella just nodded.

"And, with any luck, we'll still be alive tomorrow."

"Hopefully."

"The outlook is quite good," I joined the conversation, "I'll see Jasper in less than twenty four hours,"

"You look so tired," Edward said while tracing a finger under Bella's eyes.

"And you look thirsty," Bella replied.

Edward shrugged his shoulders, "It's nothing."

"Are you sure? I could sit with Alice,"

"Don't be ridiculous. I've never been in better control of that side of my nature than right now."

"What are your plans to get us home Alice?"

"Well Bella and I only had one way tickets for the flight here, I'm sure a flight home wouldn't be hard to get, all we need to do is find a car to get us from here to Florence." A grin grew on my face as I thought about the beautiful car Bella and I had stolen to get here from Florence.

Edward didn't seem interested, which was not normal as Edward loved fast cars, but he had his beloved in his arms now and who needed more than that?

"I'll go ahead when we get out of here and find a car and pick up mine and Bella's bags from where I hid them earlier."

"Okay, thank you Alice."

"What was all that talk about singers?"

"La tua cantante," Edward made his voice sound quite musical when he repeated the words for me.

"Yes, that,"

"They have a name for someone who smells the way Bella does to me. They call her my singer – because her blood sings for me."

I laughed,

Edward and I could hear Alec coming before he got to the large double doors. He walked through the double doors and his eyes were bright crimson from the meal of human blood he had not long ago enjoyed.

"You are free to leave now," he told us, "We ask that you don't linger in the city."

Not likely.

Edwards voice was cold as he answered Alec's request, "That won't be a problem."

Alec smiled, nodded and back through the double doors in which he'd come.

"Follow the right hallway around the corner to the first set of elevators. The lobby is two floors down, and exits to the street. Goodbye, now,"

I shot her a dark look.

We walked down the brightly lit hallway towards the elevator, once we exited the castle the party was still in full swing, looks like fun, I silently joked to Edward.

"Ridiculous," Edward muttered back.

I'm going to get mine and Bella's bags and a car, I'll meet you at the front gates. And with that I run off into the darkness.

I picked up mine and Bella's bag and then looked at the choice of cars I had, they were not very good. I settled for the first black one I'd seen it had tinted windows for if we needed them.

I pulled up at the castle gates before Edward and Bella had walked through them.

Edward slid into the back of the car with Bella. It surprised me that he had not insisted on driving.

I looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry," I gestured to the dashboard in front of me, "There wasn't much to choose from."

"It's fine, Alice, they can't all be 911 Turbos." He grinned.

I sighed, "I may have to acquire one of them legally. It was fabulous."

I pictured myself driving it, putting my foot down as soon as I hit the highway.

"I'll get you one for Christmas," Edward promised.

I turned to beam at him.

"Yellow." I told him.

Edward, she looks tired, she hasn't slept since we left forks.

"You can sleep now, Bella." He whispered to her, "It's over."

"I don't want to sleep, I'm not tired." Bella lied.

Edward leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Try."

She shook her head.

Edward sighed and replied, "You're still just as stubborn."

Even I could see, from where I was sat in the front seat of the car, that Bella was fighting against the sleep that threatened to over take her.

When we drove into Florence we decided to ditch the car in an alley way and go the rest of the way by foot, I want into the closest clothes store and picked Edward up some new clothes, he ditched the red cloak in a pile of trash in an alley way.

When we got to the airport Bella and I went to the toilets so that Bella could freshen up, brush her teeth and her hair before our flight to Rome.

The flight to Rome was short, so there was definitely no chance of Bella sleeping on this flight, but the next flight would be another story our flight from Rome to Atlanta would be a much longer flight.

When the flight attendant come around on the flight from Rome asking if there was anything we needed, Edward and I, as usual, declined where Bella asked if she could have a coke, I heard Edward sigh, both he and I knew about Bella's low tolerance to caffeine.

"Bella," he said disapprovingly.

I decided to use this time to leave them have a conversation with out me over hearing so I decided to phone Jasper to let him and the rest of the family know that we were all fine and we would be home soon.

I picked up the phone from the back of Edward's seat and dialled the familiar number.

"Hello?" If my heart could have, it would have been pulsing a million beats a minute at the sound of his lovely voice.

"Hello, Jasper." I replied.

"Alice? You're okay, How are Edward and Bella, did they make it are they okay, did you get out of there before anything happened?"

"Yes, Jasper, we're all fine, I promised you that I would come back home to you didn't I?"

"Yes you did promise, I love you so much, Where are you?"

"I love you too Jasper, We're on a flight from Rome to Atlanta now, and then when we get there we are going to find a car to get us back to Forks so we can take Bella home, are you with the rest of the family?"

"No, I went out for a walk, I'm on my way back now though, I'm just jumping over the river," I heard him jump and then go on to call all the family while he ran towards the house, "Esme, Carlisle, Emmett, Rose. Alice is on the phone."

I could hear the rush of air as everyone ran from where they were in the house to where Jasper was now stood.

He said that he had just jumped over the river; does that mean that they're back in Forks, will we be staying there when we get back?

"Alice?" I heard her lovely motherly voice and I felt as though I was home.

"Yes, Esme it's me, I've missed you."

"We've all missed you too darling, how is Edward, is he okay? And Bella? Are they with you now? Where are you?"

"Yes, Esme they're both fine, they're both with me now on a flight to Atlanta,"

"Where are you landing in Atlanta, we'll be there waiting for you?"

"Thank you, I'm sure Edward and Bella will love to see you all there, we'll be landing in Sea-tac airport Esme."

"Okay dear, we'll be there waiting for you, I'll put you back onto Jasper now, I'm sure he's a little upset that I took the phone off of him, We'll see you soon darling, love you."

"Love you too, Esme, see you soon."

"Oh Alice, it's so great to know you are okay and Bella and Edward too, I've been a wreak the last few days worrying about you, so have the rest of the family, I've missed you so much, I can't wait to see you."

"As I have missed you, I'll see you soon okay, I love you, Jasper."

"I love you too, Alice, I'll be waiting at the airport. Goodbye sweetheart."

"Okay darling, I'll see you soon." I hung up the phone and placed it back where it belonged on the back of Edward's seat.

I sighed and leaned back in my seat and thought back through my life as a vampire.

_When I opened my eyes I was in a dark room with a single bed and a single small window, on the opposite end of the room was a small door, the window had bars on it. I remember seeing each dust follicle that floated around the dusty room, I could hear the heart beats of people beyond the walls, it made my throat ache, no not ache burn._

_In the moment I thought about sitting up I was already up, I moved from the bed and started walking towards the window, I liked the way my body moved fluently with each step. I tried to think about where I was, why I was here and most of all who I was, but I couldn't remember anything my mind was blank._

_When I got to the window I looked outside to see my surroundings, the sky was a beautiful blue colour which started turning pink then purple as the sun started to set, the sun also threw orange streaks across the sky as it set._

_While I was looking out of the window something hit me,_

_I was walking down the street in the most beautiful little black dress, it looked stunning against my white skin tone along with my short spiky hair, all the men I walked past had to take second looks or turned as I walked past them, all watching the way my hips moved in the little black dress._

_I come out of the vision and looked down to see what I was wearing hoping to see the beautiful little black dress I'd just seen, but alas I was wearing the most disgusting white linen trousers and a white linen top._

'_ugh, who put me in this?' I thought to myself 'I really need to get out of this place and get myself some new clothes' I walked over to the small door and pulled it open, the next thing I knew I was stood out on the pavement._

_As I walked down the street in my linen outfit I noticed the people looking at me, I decided to take the alley way as a short cut and to get away from the stares of the people on the street, that is when his scent hit me, he stalked down the alley towards me._

"_Hello, sweetheart" he spoke from behind me._

"_Hello," I spoke back, not an ounce of terror in my voice, I was very shocked to hear how musical my voice sounded._

"_You are very beautiful, are you scared of me?" he asked_

"_No, why would I be scared of you?" I asked deciding on playing dumb._

"_Don't you know what I am, What I plan on doing to you?"_

_I turned to walk towards him putting on the sexiest walk I could._

"_It's not what you plan on doing to me that I'd worry about, it's what I'm about to do to you that I'd worry about" I smiled at him._

"_What do you mean? What you're going to do to me?" he asked, I walked around him putting me hand on his shoulder being seductive, this was my chance._

"_Oh don't worry about it, it won't hurt." and then I dug my sharp new teeth into the flesh of his neck and emptied his worthless body of it's life. I used his shirt to wipe the blood from my face, I didn't want to have any of his blood on my white clothes people might ask to many questions._

_When I was wiping my face I noticed a bracelet in my wrist that I had not noticed before, I dropped his lifeless arm and pulled my arm towards my face and read what the bracelet said._

_Name: Mary Alice Brandon._

_Age: 19_

_Psychiatric problem: Thinks that she has premonitions_

"_ugh, Mary? Who names they're child Mary?_

_I picked through the mans pockets and found his wallet it had a lot of money in it, I took the money from his wallet and put it in my pocket, I thre his wallet onto his body, then it hit me._

_I was in a diner sat at the counter when a man walked into through the door, he looked around the diner before his eyes finally set on me, I could see his scars from my seat I got up from my seat and walked towards him, he looked a little hesitant at the sight of me walking towards him, I stood in front of him and offered my hand._

_I stood up from where I'd been kneeling over his dead body and walked out of the alley and towards the closest clothes store._

_I entered the shop and looked around, I found the same little black dress that I'd been wearing in my vision, I picked it up along with some cute black heals and a lovely pair of jeans a white top and some white heals._

"_Is that all miss?" the sales clerk asked._

"_Yes, thank you." I handed her the money, picked up my bags and left the store._


	14. Home

Chapter Fourteen – Home

I was pulled out of my flash back by Edward.

"The plane has landed Alice, back to reality you come." He teased.

"Jasper." I whispered.

"Yes, he's here as are the others, I can hear all they're thoughts from here." He replied.

We walked from the plane and into the midst of the busy airport.

Bella seemed surprised to see the welcoming party that consisted of our family. I guess Edward had not told her that they would be here to meet us.

Jasper was the one and only person I wanted to see, we'd spent to much time apart this last week. I walked quickly to his side and stared into his beautiful golden eyes, as he stared into mine, this was the only welcome we needed we didn't need to show our love for one another we only needed to look at the other to know that we were happy to be back together.

We hadn't been apart for this long since we'd met, Jasper would go on boys hunting trips with Edward and Emmett but they never lasted more than two or three days. We turned towards our family, Esme had hold of Bella, quite awkwardly as Edward still had his arm around Bella's waist.

"Thank you so much," She whispered into Bella's ear.

Esme then moved to her son, Edward, she was crying tearless cries.

"You will never put me through that again," she growled at him.

"Sorry Mom."

"Thank you, Bella, we owe you." Carlisle said.

"Hardly." Bella mumbled, she looked like she was going to fall at any second, she still had not slept since we left for Italy three days ago.

Esme decided that we needed to get Bella home to Charlie, as he would have been worried sick about her just up and leaving with only a note to explain where she'd gone.

Esme thought it would be best for Jasper and I to travel with her and Carlisle ad for Bella and Edward to travel with Rosalie and Emmett, Edward didn't seem to happy about travelling with her after she hand made the effort to hunt him down to tell him about Bella's passing, with out the correct knowledge.

Bella asked Edward to leave it be and he dropped it he still didn't seem to happy about it though.

Jasper pulled me into the back of Carlisle's car and we set of back to our true home, Forks.

While in the back of the car I decided to go back to my flash back I wouldn't be telling anyone anything until everyone was back together at home, everyone that is but Bella and Edward.

I was walking down the street in my little black dress, today was the day that I would meet the stranger from my vision.

I walked towards the diner where we would meet and I sat at the counter waiting for him.

I had been waiting for about twenty minutes when it hit me.

They we the most beautiful people I had ever seen, The older woman had brown hair and golden eye's, the older gentleman had blonde hair and golden eye's, they looked like the parent's of the three teens that were with them, the most gorgeous girl I had ever laid eye's on she had lovely long flowing blonde hair and golden eye's, one of the boy's had black hair and golden eye's and the other had bronze hair and golden eye's.

They seemed like a very nice tight knit family, they were out hunting, but this wasn't the hunting that I was used to, they were hunting... animals.

This is probably the reason behind the golden eye's it must be because they live off of animal blood and not human blood, that was amazing I never liked killing people to sedate my thirst but it was something I thought I needed to do, I was so happy now that I had seen a new way to live.

I seen the bonze haired boy call to the older gentleman, it would seem that he was Carlisle, and the bronze hair boy Edward, they were talking about Emmett, that must be the black haired boy and Rosalie I'm guessing she was the blonde girl, but who was the older woman I would need to know if my stranger and I were going to be with them.

I continued watching to wait for her name... Esme, such a beautiful motherly name.

So that was it we would go find them I know we could change our ways, I had not even met him yet and I was seeing our future already.

Finally he walked through the door.

I could see all his scars just like I had in my vision, he seemed to be looking around but not knowing what he was looking for, I decided that now was the chance to introduce myself.

I got up from my seat and made my way over to him.

I held out my hand and he took it, raised it up to his face and kissed the back of it.

"You've kept me waiting a long time." I said as I smiled up at him.

He ducked his head, "I'm sorry, ma'am."

"I'm sorry if I frightened you," I casually said to him, "I had seen our meeting and just went for it, I hope I didn't worry you too much."

"It's okay, I'm just not used to people trying to make friends with me. Do you mind if I ask madam, what did you mean by you had seen our meeting?"

"Sorry, I have an ability I don't know why, I don't remember my human life, but all I know is that I have seen the future, which is how I know to meet you here today, and that we will be very happy together." I smiled at him, He smiled back, such a beautiful smile.

"That is quite extraordinary if you don't mind me saying so, hope you don't find me rude but would you mind telling me your name?"

Oh! What do I say, I'm not telling him my name is Mary, that is the most horrific name anyone could name they're child.

"Oh how rude of me I'm really sorry, My name is Alice Brandon."

"Very nice to meet you Miss Alice Brandon, I am Jasper Whitlock."

We left the diner after a little while of talking and decided to go somewhere more private to talk. I had found a small house one day shortly after I woke up to this new life, it seemed to not have been in use for a few years so I decided to stay there until me meet with the beautiful stranger I am with today.

I took him to the little house, where we sat and talked about his past, human and vampire, and my last few weeks as a vampire.

He seemed concerned about my not being able to remember anything before waking up as a vampire, but I can't say it bothered me, what you don't know can't hurt you, and as I'd found out that day, the past was better forgotten if it was anything like Jasper's.

I told him about the few visions I'd had since waking up, including the one I'd had at the diner before he'd arrived, he seemed nervous at the thought of meeting this coven, as he called it, he didn't think it would be right to impose on them with out they're knowledge, but I had seen it so it must have something to do with our future.

We had decided we would try the lifestyle for a few months and then go and meet this beautiful coven of vampires and hope that they accepted us as part of it.

We had just pulled into Forks, when I come out of my flash back, we would be dropping Bella off first and then going home, Edward would go back as soon as we got home.

We drove through Forks silently, only the thrum of Carlisle's engine filling the car.

We turned onto our drive towards the house, once inside the garage we all got out of the car and made our way inside to wait for the others.

Fifteen minutes later Emmett and Rosalie walked in from the garage and took they're seats around the family table which we only used for family meetings the last time we'd all been sat around this table Edward had chosen to take us out of Bella's life completely with no goodbyes from the family.

Once everyone was seated, Carlisle turned to me,

"Alice, what happened?"

"Where would you like me to start? With Bella or Edward?"

"Start at the beginning, like why you took off suddenly in Denali?" Carlisle asked.

I took a breath and started what would be a long story.

"Well, when Jasper, the others and I were sat in the lounge, I had a vision Bella was stood on top of a cliff in LaPush she looked like she was talking to herself and then she took a step back and then jumped of the cliff, I could see the storm coming in, but she must have been so concentrated on talking to herself that she hadn't seen the storm coming, the waves pulled her under, and that was where my vision ended I tried to look for her future again but saw nothing I couldn't find her future." I stopped to look at Esme who I heard take in a quick sharp breath.

"Esme, I have never been so scared, I was frantic looking for her future, I needed to come back to look after Charlie, Jasper wouldn't come because we'd promised Edward that we'd stay out of her life, but I needed to be there for Charlie, he would have needed someone who cared for Bella like he did, you under stand don't you?"

"Of course I do honey, you did the right thing by going to him." She replied.

"So, I got the first flight I could from Denali to Port Angeles and then from Port Angeles I got the first flight I could here to Forks, I went to pick Carlisle's car up and went straight to Bella's house to wait for Charlie. I didn't want to go to the hospital, they would all want to know why I was there and how I'd found out, I didn't need questions, not at that point.

"So while I was in Charlie's house waiting for him to come home Bella's truck pulled up outside, I just assumed that someone from LaPush had brought it back for Charlie, but then it started up again, the driver turned the truck around and started back up the street, again the truck stopped and it sounded as though someone had gotten out, I heard the truck start to reverse back towards the house, it pulled up and I heard the driver get out and make they're way towards the front door, they seemed to stop right outside to think about something and then continued to open the door, they fumbled along the wall to find the light switch, which I was stood by so I turned it on only to come face to face with Bella.

"I was full of shock I'd seen her jump to her death; I searched for her future and found nothing, Bella threw herself at me and broke down crying, I pulled her into the living room and down onto the couch, I've never seen her like that, She looked even more fragile than I've ever seen, she had big black patches under her eyes she was skinner than I have ever seen.

"I asked he about how she'd been since we'd left and she asked me about everyone, all but one person I know she would ask about him when she was ready, so I told her about everything that had happened since we moved away and how everyone was, she seemed happy to hear how well we were all doing, she never once asked me about why we left. She told me about how Laurent and Victoria had come after her while we were away, our living did nothing for her safety."

"Alice what happened, how come they didn't get to her?" Carlisle asked shocked by my story.

"I'm getting to it, it won't be to long," I answered with a smile.

"I asked her about what had happened that day with the cliffs and she told me she was only copying what the LaPush kids do, it's called Cliff diving she told me, like it was nothing, she told me about her new friend Jacob being a werewolf." Again I stopped when I heard Esme take in a quick sharp breath, only thins time it wasn't only Esme, Carlisle and Emmett also joined her, while Rose hissed and Jasper looked confused.

"What do you mean, her best friend is a werewolf, Alice?" Emmett boomed.

"I mean she has gone from being around vampires to being around a boy who changes into a wolf when he's upset."

"But I thought they died out with Ephraim Black," Carlisle questioned.

"Wait, did you say Black?"

"Yes. Ephraim Black he's the werewolf we made the treaty with, why?"

"Jacob's last name is Black,"

"Jacob must be a descendant of Ephraim's a great, great grand son or something,"

"Well any way she said that he had pulled her from the water with no problems and when I questioned her about how he had managed that she looked like she had said to much and then she decided that she was going to continue to tell me anyway, she asked me if I'd been with you the last time, I was confused by that but then it come to me about the treaty, I figured that's why I couldn't see her future because she was with Jacob, not because she had died but because I can't see her future when she's around him. They are the reason Victoria hasn't been able to get to her and they killed Laurent in the woods when they found him about to attack Bella."

"Oh, poor Bella." I heard Esme sigh.

"I went out to hunt for an hour because I hadn't hunted in a while and being so close to Bella was getting harder, I also came back here to pick up some clothes as Bella wanted me to stay at her house, when I got back Bella and I sat around and talked some more about what had happened since we left, did you know that she has not spoken to one of her friends outside of school, we sat around talking some more until Charlie come home, we talked about Edward this time I knew she'd want to know about him eventually, When Charlie came home he seemed happy to have me stay even though it was a ruff time for him as his best friend had just died, he did ask if Carlisle was coming back and I told him no because I knew he wasn't really asking after you Carlisle, I knew that he was asking about Edward.

"The next morning when Charlie woke up I sat with him in the kitchen while Bella still slept and I asked him questions about how Bella had been since we'd left he didn't seem to mind telling me how zombie like she had become once we'd left, he told me how she would only talk if asked a question, she threw out everything that reminded her of Edward, she wouldn't sit with Charlie to watch television any longer, she wouldn't call her friends back when they called so they eventually stopped calling, and then he told me about how friendly she'd become with Jacob how he brought a little of the old Bella, very little.

"That day Bella and I talked some more about the family and about my past. The next day it was Charlie's friends funeral Bella and I stayed and the house she had chores to do that had built up over the last few weeks while I stood by and chatted when Bella was cleaning the bathroom someone rang the door bell, I didn't need to be physic to know who it was, you never told me how much they stink, I made my exit through Charlie's bedroom window , I come back to the house for a little while I didn't need to hunt quite yet but I did however have to get away from Jacob and his stinky friends.

"I decided to try search for Bella's future again while she was with Jacob to see if my theory was true and again I could see nothing, I chose to start uncovering things in the house while I was here to make it a little more homely, once I had finished doing so I thought it would be time to go back to Bella's I could wait outside if her friend was still there.

"While I was on the way back to Bella's house I had the vision of Edward going to Volterra to ask for death, I didn't understand, why would he go ask for this, nothing was wrong with his life, he had left his love but that was his choice, no one had take her away from him.

"I pushed myself as hard as I could back to Bella's not really caring if the werewolves were still there, I needed to tell her what was happening, when I got back to Bella's and had told her that Edward was going to Italy, that was all I'd said and she broke down crying talking about how he left and how he didn't want her any more. I didn't under stand how she knew what I was on about by only saying he'd gone to Italy.


	15. The Vote

Chapter Fifteen – The vote.

"I phoned Carlisle, but Rose answered, she told me about how she'd phoned Edward to let him know that Bella had passed on, and that Carlisle was still out hunting.

"Bella then explained to me that Carlisle had been on the phone not five minutes before I came rushing in, I knew straight away that it had not been Carlisle phoning but Edward pretending to be Carlisle to check that Rosalie's story was accurate, when Jacob answered the phone and told Edward that Charlie was at the funeral Edward just assumed that it was Bella's funeral instead of asking for conformation on who's funeral he was at.

"I tried to phone Edward but he had left his phone in a trash can in Rio, I told Bella what I had planned but told her I couldn't risk her life, she was more than willing to go by her self if I didn't want to take her. Jacob was not to happy about it but Bella pushed him aside and got her stuff together, I booked single tickets there as I didn't know what the outcome would be, Bella wrote a note to her father saying she had gone away with me for a couple of days and said goodbye to Jacob and we left for Italy.

"When we were on the flight I had promised Bella that if it came to it I would change her, which I kinda regret now as she'll hold me to it I know she will, but I don't know if I'd be able to, I had phoned Jasper and made him stop Rose and Emmett from coming after us, Bella was the one that needed to do this to prove to Edward that she was actually alive and that we would not be lying in our minds to him.

"We reached Florence and I stole the most beautiful canary yellow Porche I have ever seen, and we made our way to Volterra, I told Bella where Edward would be and how to get there, I told her I would meet her there when I could as I needed to find a back way to the alley, because of the sun.

"Bella ran in the direction I pointed her and I left the beautiful porche behind and slipped into the shadows, I hid the bags that Bella and I had taken with us and started to find my way around the back streets towards where Bella and Edward would be. When I met up with them there were two very muscular vampires with them they seem to be cornering Edward.

"I slipped out of the shadows and flitted to Edward's side they didn't seem to like the even number of vampires that were now here, then out of no where this small girl appeared and asked for us to follow, we followed her down the alleys and down a drain into a cold underground tunnel, she lead us towards a grand castle, I'm assuming Carlisle you know what I'm on about?"

"Yes, Alice I do know what you mean."

"Well I dropped down first after Jane, as Edward would not like to leave Bella on her own with the two of them, Edward dropped Bella down the drain and I caught her within seconds Edward was by her side again taking hold of her, we walked through the tunnel once, Felix and Demetri had joined us, We walked into a grand room where there were a few sofa's and a desk with a human woman behind it, she seemed to have a thing for Felix, don't see why she'd like that creep though, Jane's twin Alec joined us and walked with us to where Aro was waiting, so he says for the meal that one of his guard were out fishing.

"Aro seemed to know every thing about Bella and I, he spoke to us like he'd known us years not merely seconds, He said to Edward something about being glad he hadn't executed his request, Edward didn't seem to happy about having Bella in that room with him, Aro's brothers soon joined us, Aro wanted to see if his gift would work on Bella, to which he asked Edward not Bella, like Bella was some kind of pet to Edward not his true love.

"Edward told Aro to ask her himself, as he did Bella seemed kind of scared at his question but held out her hand anyway, his gift also doesn't seem to work on Bella and neither of which does Jane's she wasn't to happy about that, she had Edward on the floor first when she first stepped towards Bella, Edward wasn't quite sure if her gift would work on her but he intervened any way, Bella shrieked at Jane to stop, Jane then turned the full force of her gift onto Bella, and it did not work, Edward picked himself up off of the floor and again took Bella from my arm, in which I had caught her when she had tried to run to Edward's aid during Jane's attack.

"Aro asked Edward to promise that Bella would become one of us soon, Caius has promised to come visit when needs must to check up on them, but Edward seemed lost in thought and I knew if he stepped forward Aro would know his plan and most defiantly kill us for it, so I decided there and then that I would change Bella, resulting in yet another vision of her as one of us, I stepped forward and placed my hand in Aro's waiting hand, he seen everything from the very first vision of Bella I'd had to the very last, he seemed happy to allow this as he'd seen it, obviously not knowing that my visions can always change.

"Edward didn't seem to happy about my promise but seemed happy enough that we were able to leave alive and well, with Bella still with us. We had to wait around the castle until night fall, and then we were able to leave, I recovered mine and Bella's bags and found a new car, nothing as fabulous as the Porche but it would have to do, we made our way from the grasp of the Volturi towards Florence airport, we got on our flight, only after Bella had cleaned up and I had bought Edward some new clothes as he was wearing that hideous red cloak they'd given him, and then we returned home. I do believe we have now come full circle. Any questions, if not I would like to go hunt as it's been a few days."

Carlisle had a few questions about how Aro was and how Caius reacted to Aro allowing us to leave, with Bella still being human, which I answered for him, after that no one else had any questions they were all happy with the my account of the last few days.

Jasper and I happily left the dining table and left for a hunt on our own, bliss, I'd missed the way I fit perfectly into his loving arms.

Once we had come back from hunting Jazz and I decided to spend some time cuddled up on our bed, just looking at each other, we didn't need any words to be said to show our love for each other.

Whilst looking at his beautiful face I had a vision,

Bella and Edward would be arriving soon for a vote about her mortality in which I was happy to oblige to.

"Edward and Bella will be here soon, Bella has something she wants to ask." I spoke as I would to Bella if she was stood in front of me now, I knew no matter what anyone was doing they'd hear me perfectly.

"What does Bella have to ask, Alice?" Jasper asked me, looking at me lovingly.

"That is not for me to say, it is her question to ask." I smiled at him.

A few moments later I heard Bella and Edward walking towards the from door, and up the steps, Edward opened the door and he and Bella entered the house.

"Carlisle? Esme? Rosalie? Emmett? Jasper? Alice?" Edward spoke, both he and Bella know that everyone would hear.

Jasper and I left the bedroom and made our way to the dining room while Carlisle greeted Edward and Bella.

I already know what she's going to ask Edward and I already know my answer.

I heard him sigh.

"Welcome back, Bella, What can we do for you this morning? I imagine, due to the hour, that this is not purely a social visit."I'd like to talk to everyone at once, if that's okay. About something important,"

"Of course, why don't we talk in the other room?"

Carlisle led Bella end Edward into the dining room, the rest of us making our way in shortly after.

"The floor is yours." Carlisle nodded towards Bella as soon as everyone had taken they're seats.

"Well, I'm hoping Alice has already told you everything that happened in Volterra?"

"Everything," I assured her.

"And on the way?"

"That, too,"

"Good." Bella sighed, it sounded full of relief, "Then we're all on the same page. So, I have a problem, Alice promised the Volturi that I would become one of you. They're going so send someone to check, and I'm sure that's a bad thing – something to avoid. And so, now , this involves all of you. I'm sorry about that," Bella paused for a moment to look at everyone, "But, if you don't want me, then I'm not going to force myself on you, whether Alice is willing or not."

I heard a small gasp come from Esme, She opened her mouth again to speak to Bella, Bella held up her hand to stop Esme and continued with what she was saying.

"Please, let me finish. You all know what I want. And I'm sure you know what Edward thinks, too."

I looked at Edward, his mouth was pulled down into a grimace, we all knew what he wanted, Bella to stay human for her to not be hurt by our world, for her to not loose her soul because his love for her.

"I think the only fair way to decide is for everyone to have a vote. If you decide you don't want me, then... I guess I'll go back to Italy alone. I can't have them coming here."

I could see Bella's forehead crease as she thought about going back to that place, back to them.

Esme gasped, and I heard Edward growl beside her.

"Taking into account, then, that I won't put any of you in danger either way, I want you to vote yes or no on the issue of me becoming a vampire."

Bella had a small smile on her lips as she gestured to Carlisle to start the vote.

"Just a minute," Edward interrupted.

Bella glared at him through narrowed eyes, he raised his eyebrows in return and continued.

"I have something to add before we vote."

Bella and I sighed.

"About the danger Bella's referring to, I don't think we need to be overly anxious, You see, there was more than one reason why I didn't want to shake Aro's hand there at the end. There's something they didn't think of, and I didn't want to clue them in." He grinned, he thought he was getting out of this vote, no way in hell.

"Which was?" I asked aloud. Bella had a sceptical look on her face, just as I did on mine no doubt.

"The Volturi are overconfident, and with good reason. When they decide to find someone, it's not really a problem. Do you remember Demetri?" He glanced down at Bella, who shuddered at the mention of his name, Edward must have taken that as a yes because he continued.

"He finds people – that's his talent, why they keep him. Now the whole time we were with any of them, I was picking they're brains for anything that might save us, getting as much information as possible. So I saw how Demetri's talent works. He's a tracker – a tracker a thousand times more gifted than James was. His ability is loosely related to what I do, or what Aro does. He catches the... flavour? I don't know how to describe it... the tenor... of someone's mind, and then he follows that. It works over immense distances. But after Aro's little experiments, well..." Edward shrugged his shoulders, Bella and I caught on at the same time.

"You think he won't be able to find me," Bella said flatly.

Edward's face was smug, "I'm sure of it. He relies totally on that other sense. When it doesn't work with you they'll be blind."

"And how does that solve anything?"

"Quite obviously, Alice will be able to tell when they're planning a visit, and I'll hide you. They'll be helpless. It will be like looking for a piece of straw in a haystack!"

"But they can find you," Bella pointed out.

"And I can take care of myself."

Emmett laughed and reached across the table towards our brother, with is fist extended.

"Excellent plan, my brother," Edward stretched his arm out and pound his fist against Emmett's.

"No." Rosalie hissed.

"Absolutely not." Bella agreed.

"Nice," Jasper added.

"Idiots," I muttered.

Esme was glaring at Edward, he was willing to allow the Volturi guard to come here to forks to force them down on our family, where we would all probably die for hiding Bella away.

Bella straightened up in her chair and added, "All right then. Edward has offered an alternative for you to consider, let's vote."

Bella turned her gaze towards Edward, "Do you want me to join your family?"

"Not in that way. You're staying human."

Bella nodded once and continued.

"Alice?"

"Yes."

"Jasper?"

"Yes." Bella looked a little surprised by his answer.

"Rosalie?"

Rose hesitated, she was biting down on her lip, was this so hard for her to decide?

"No." Thought not.

Bella wasn't surprised by Rosalie's answer and continued to move toward Emmett for his answer.

Rosalie put both her hands up towards Bella.

"Let me explain, I don't mean that I have any aversion to you as a sister. It's just that... this is not the life I would have chosen for myself. I wish there had been someone there to vote no for me." Bella nodded at Rosalie's explanation and continued to Emmett.

"Hell, yes!" He grinned. "We can find some other way to pick a fight with this Demetri."

Bella grimaced at this and turned to Esme.

"Yes, of course, Bella. I already think of you as part of my family."

"Thank you, Esme,"

Bella turned to Carlisle, she looked kind of apprehensive as she knew no matter what the rest of us had voted Carlisle's vote would be final.

Carlisle wasn't looking at Bella, his eyes on Edward's face.

"Edward."

"No." Edward growled.

"It's the only way that makes sense, you've chosen not to live without her, and that doesn't leave me a choice."

Edward dropped Bella's hand and shoved away from the table, walking into the lounge, snarling.

Uh oh, poor Emmett is going to go mad, he only just got that television, it wasn't easy to find.

"I guess you know my vote," Carlisle sighed.

Bella was still staring after Edward as she answered Carlisle.

"Thanks."

That is when Edward took his anger out on Emmett's poor television.

"Aw What?" I heard Emmett sigh low enough that Bella wouldn't hear.

Bella flinched at the sound of the smash from the lounge, "That's all I needed. Thank you. For wanting to keep me. I feel exactly the same way about all of you, too."

Esme was up from her seat and at Bella's side with her arms around her in an instant.

"Dearest, Bella," She breathed.

Bella hugged Esme back.

"Well, Alice, Where do you want to do this?" Bella asked as soon as Esme had released her.

What?

"No! No! NO!" Edward roared, charging back into the meeting area, he was in Bella's face bending over her, his expression twisted in rage. "Are you insane?" He shouted at her, "Have you utterly lost your mind?"

Bella cringed away from him, covering her ears.

"Um, Bella, I don't think I'm ready for that. I'll need to prepare..." I was cut off by Bella.

"You promised."

"I know, but... seriously, Bella! I don't have any idea how to not kill you."

"You can do it, I trust you." She encouraged me.

I shook my head quickly, I couldn't do this, I could in no way do this.

Edward snarled in fury.

"Carlisle?" Bella turned to look at him.

Edward grabbed her face in his hand, forcing her to look at his; he put his other hand out, palm facing Carlisle.

Carlisle ignored Edward attempt to silence him, "I'm able to do it, you would be in no danger of me losing control."

"Sounds good."

"Hold on, it doesn't have to be now." Edward tried his best to stall the inevitable.

"There's no reason for it not to be now." Bella added, her words come out slightly distorted because of the hold Edward still had on her face.

"I can think of a few."

"Of course you can, now let go of me." Bella said sourly.

Edward freed her face and folded his arms across his chest.

"In about two hours, Charlie will be here looking for you. I wouldn't put it past him to involve the police."

"All three of them." Bella frowned.

Bella was quite for sometime after that, she looked like she was miles away, thinking about something.

I felt kind of bad for Charlie as he'd only just gotten his daughter back and now she would be leaving him forever, never to talk to him again, never to see her smile, never to tell her how much he loves her.

Charlie is going to be devastated, Edward. We will need to give her time to say goodbye to him, without actually saying goodbye to him, he needs a few more months with her, she hasn't been the Bella he's known and loved for the last seven months he deserves to see her happy again before he never sees her again. Maybe we should wait until after graduation, use that as her goodbye say she's off to college, she dies in a car accident or something, give him closure, Edward, he needs this, and so will she.

"In the interest of remaining inconspicuous, I suggest we put this conversation off, at the very least until Bella finishes high school, and moves out of Charlie's house."

"That's a reasonable request, Bella." Carlisle pointed out to her.

"I'll consider it."

Edward relaxed, "I should probably take you home, just in case Charlie wakes up early."

Bella looked at Carlisle, "After graduation?"

"You have my word."

Bella took a deep breath, smiled and turned to Edward, "Okay. You can take me home."

Edward rushed Bella out of the house before Carlisle could promise her anymore, not that he had any more to promise her. He ensured to take her out of the back door to ensure she didn't see the mess he had made of Emmett's new television.

"Oh man look what he did, it took months to find this baby," Emmett sulked in the lounge.

"Emmett, you can order a new one, you know where to get it this time, so it shouldn't be as hard as it was before." Esme assured him.

"Yeah anyway I shouldn't worry about the television, Bella will be a vampire soon and I bet she'll be the most clumsy vampire ever." He laughed, everyone else joined in except for Rosalie who looked to be deep in thought.

"Emmett that's not very nice, Bella may be rather clumsy but there is no need to make fun of her for it." Esme scolded him as she walked into the room.

"OH!" I exclaimed.

"What is it, Alice? What have you seen?" Jasper asked from beside me.

"Edward asked Bella to marry him,"

I heard Esme and Rose gasp, Rose in shock and Esme just seemed proud but kind of shocked by the pounce he'd taken.

"What did she say?" Esme asked curiously from where she now sat beside me.

"She thinks he's joking, she doesn't think he's serious, so I don't think she'll answer him." I added glumly.

"Oh. No matter I'm sure she'll answer him soon and I'm sure they'll be very happy, she's in love with him enough to give up her human life to become one of us, so I'm sure she loves him enough to marry him, although Bella does hate a fuss and to be centre of attention." Esme assured me.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." I added.

I stood from the sofa and took Jaspers hand, "Would you like to come for a run with me, maybe go for a little hunt?" I asked him.

"Of course darling," He stood and we walked out of the house hand in hand towards the woods.


End file.
